


Tadhana

by DeathBerry_Diaries02



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Destiny, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-17
Updated: 2020-05-03
Packaged: 2020-10-20 15:11:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 30,450
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20677454
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DeathBerry_Diaries02/pseuds/DeathBerry_Diaries02
Summary: Canon Divergence/Semi AU, ZK.The Avatar had been warned not to trifle with destiny.Working on the summary...





	1. Directions

**Author's Note:**

> Tadhana (n) - a Filipino word for fate/destinty - a power supposed to fix what is to happen.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Takes place in the swamp.

\---  
Destiny is a funny thing. Iroh muses as he once again journey to the foggy swamp. The mysterious swamp that had called upon him after he lost his only son, Lu Ten, to show him the paths of life. Now, the same swamp calls upon his nephew. He only hopes Zuko will be alright after seeing whatever the swamp wants his nephew to see. A bird sings for the second time as he makes his way to the heart of the swamp.  
\---  
After running circles in the swamp, Zuko finally admitted that storming off to get away from his uncle wasn't the wisest idea. Especially now that he is permanently banished. He sighs deeply as he crossed his arms to his chest and tries to relax. But that annoying bird started screaming again and Zuko has to restrain himself from running lest he went deeper into the swamp.  
\---  
Katara is never the one to cower in face of fear. But after hearing the scream again she started to run for it. Maybe she should stop trying to find her brother and Aang in this fog. And just wait for them to find her. But first, she just had to get away from the damned bird that's giving her the creeps.  
\---  
Hacking the trees repeatedly as he makes his way. He shouts for his sister and the Avatar. Sokka has just had enough with that screaming bird and decided to out match it with his much louder preferrable manly voice. So he shouts harder.  
\---  
He knows the swamp is spiritually aware. Moreso, it has been beckoning him deeper to the swamp in less subtle way. Whispering directions to the air for him to follow. But first, he has to find Katara and Sokka to make sure they're alright. Aang is sure the spiritual talking can wait. A bird shouts again from afar, after he took the opposite direction of what the swamp had whispered to him.  
\---

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Symbolism:  
Iroh - is sure of his destiny in all of this. That's why he can make it to the heart of the swamp without problems.
> 
> Zuko - is still hell bent to find his own way. The way he thinks is right. That's why he's running circles in the swamp. A lost boy.
> 
> Katara - is running away from a past event (her mother's death) like a little girl she tries hard not to be.
> 
> Sokka - is never the one to believe in spirits. He makes his way with life his own way never relying on fate.
> 
> Aang - is just a kid. Normal to neglect his duties. But he's too sheltered to realize the consequences of his actions.
> 
> The Swamp - in a way, the road to destiny. Not yet the crossroad but it will lead them to it.


	2. Colors

\---  
The fog thickens as Zuko tries to make his way out of the swamp. As the fog enveloped the entire perimeter, he wonders if he had went farther than he would like to admit.

A soft whisper to his left stops him in his tracks. Wide eyes, he turns to face whoever was brave enough to startle him.

A woman in green stood by his side in formal Earth Kingdom robes. Zuko saw her lips moving but no words can be made out. As his eyes travel to take in if she's a threat enough, he saw her blue - _blue?_ \- eyes. Shinning with mirth - and _affections_?

He took a step back and by instinct, into a bending stance.

"Who are you?"

But the woman's - no, it's _the waterbender_, nose started to bleed. And her blue eyes widen, accusingly, as if he had indeed struck her.

Zuko stretches his hand to help and asks what happened. But she started to slip down. He tries to catch her wrist but she slip out of his grasp like water he knows she can bend.

As she slowly went down, he saw the water claim her body as if she's a part of it. He stood stuck still at what just happened.

That water witch must have cast a spell on him.  
\---  
After seeing the ghost of her mom and crying for what felt like hours. Katara decided to move forward once again.

But after walking a good couple of minutes away from the tree stump, she was sure of it the fog thinkens and she stops preparing for whatever she is about to see.

A crowd shouts from a distant. Katara, unable to see where the people are at, looks up as a shadow looms over her.

Staring at her is none other than the Fire Nation Prince, Zuko. Wide eyes, she started to call the water below her in a whip. But Zuko wasn't taking in his usual stance. And was just smiling - _smiling?_ \- at her.

Zuko stood proud in red. Looking down at her as a golden crown glimmer on top of his head. She saw his lips moving but couldn't make out what he's trying to say.

She started to tremble from the sight of his soft golden eyes and smiling lips.

Zuko was smiling at her cunningly, not adoringly, she was sure of it.

So, she sends her water whip onto his face.  
\---  
The next time Zuko saw the waterbender, she was in red. Fire Nation attire. As he walks away from the disturbing vision he just saw, he heard her laughing and calling out to him.

She stood behind the a tree stump smiling invitingly at him, as if she had been waiting for him.

"You little peasant." Zuko breaths deeply unable to stop seething at the sight of the Avatar's witch.

"Oh, so we're back at it again? Fine. Angry Jerk." She spats playfully.

_Back at it - Angry Jerk?!_

"Where's the Avatar?" He replies on instinct, he took a bending stance ready to take on this little girl, no - almost a young woman?

But the woman only laughs then sends a water whip on him.

"Water wench!" Then he chases after her.

He saw her transform from a young woman in red to a little girl in blue.

Atleast he knows the girl in blue.  
\---  
Sokka, decidedly put out after seeing his glowing in yellow light dead girlfriend again, saw a black sword impaling the ground.

He removes it from the ground and examines it. Dark as charcoal, but hard as steel. Loving the craftship, he decided to keep it only for it to turn into a tree stick right before his eyes.

He is about to yell at the universe for playing these tricks on him when he heard his sister's voice. Yelling at someone to leave her alone.

Stick still on his hand, he runs to her at full speed. His big borther instinct kicking in.  
\---  
After seeing a vision of a girl in green with pale - pale eyes. Aang saw a man in colors. He couldn't describe what the man was wearing, is it orange? Dirty yellow? Brown? Light maroon? Dark red? Dark green? Dirty green? He doesn't know.

But when Aang went up to him to ask if he saw a girl in green and siblings in blue, the man grabbed him by his arms and said, "Learn to let _her_ go or there will be consequences. Do not test fate, it does not favor anyone."

And with that the man with white hair and colors he couldn't describe vanished in thin air. Scratching his head he went his way to the big tree ahead where he hears a commotion. Hopefully Sokka didn't angry any spirits again.  
\---  
Amused at the scene playing in front of him by the Banyan Tree, Iroh couldn't help but stay quiet and see what else will happened between his nephew and the watertribe girl.

He has been resting and waiting for his nephew by the Banyan tree, when the girl got out of the canopy of tree, running away from his nephew who was hot on her tails.

"Get away from me!" She shouts as she whips Zuko on his forehead. The sound was enough to make Iroh wince from his seat.

"Water witch!" _Witch? _Iroh wonders why his nephew used such a word to describe a young lady. He has to teach him about the ways to the ladies soon or Zuko will never find a wife.

He sighs as he was about to stand up, his nephew was able to capture the girl by her wrists but her brother smacked the prince on the back of the head with a stick, shouting, "Sneak Attack!"

Iroh muses that if Zuko has not been too enruptured by the waterbender he would have heard the 'sneak attack' from a mile. But as it is, too focus on his goal and with both hands holding the girl, Zuko was unable to move out of the way of the attack and was smacked hard.

Iroh saw his nephew pass out, dragging down the waterbender with him. He hurries down to his nephew's side to prevent the beating from escalating further now that Zuko is on top of the girl and the young Avatar on his way to them.  
\---

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes. I used green to symbolize Oma and Shu in the crystal cave.


	3. Of Teashop and Stories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Takes place before the Crossroads of Destiny.

\---  
Katara should've known Zuko will be here of all the places. Afterall, he always seems to show up in places they're most relaxed.  
  
She was on her way to the Earth King's palace for a meeting when she stumbled upon the famous teashop, _The Jasmine Dragon._  
  
Although, she must admit seeing the prince in apron is a pleasant surprise. She tries hard not to snigger.  
  
If it weren't for his uncle's amicable hospitality she's pretty sure the teashop would end up trashed. And that would be a pity.  
\---  
The teens continue to glare at each other as the Dragon of The West serves them tea and few assortment of sweets.  
  
"It is certainly a pleasant surprise seeing a familiar face here." Iroh says, trying to be the mediator.  
  
"Well, I can't say the same." The waterbender says glaring holes in his nephew's head who's sitting in front of her.  
  
"Uncle, we shouldn't even try -" Zuko tries to say but Iroh wouldn't let him ruin this opportunity.  
  
"How are you dear?" Iroh says, sipping his own tea.  
  
"I've been better before I saw your neph -"  
  
Ugh. These teens are hopeless.  
  
"What do you think of the tea, Master Katara?"  
  
She takes a sip still glaring at Zuko. Then her shoulders visibly relaxed.  
  
"The best I've had so far." She whispers,  
eyes wide.  
  
"Of course." Zuko murmurs.  
  
"What's that supposed to mean!?"  
  
"Why don't you finish your cup and I'll tell you our story." Iroh suggests.  
  
There's a beat then Katara sits up straighter.  
  
Bingo.  
  
That has to be the reason Katara didn't run the other way when she first saw them. And report them straight to the Dai Li.  
  
She's giving them the benefit of the doubt.  
  
Giving them the chance to explain themselves.  
  
And he humbly suspected that she must've respected him enough too.  
  
Such a sweet girl.  
  
So the Dragon of the West enraptures her with the tales of a boy and his uncle.  
\---  
Zuko is seething as his uncle tells the waterbender their story. He is determined to interrupt here and there to save face.  
  
As he wonders how this stupid girl - no, young woman - survive this long with such an expressive eyes.  
  
He sees confusion, shock, indecision, pity and determination play in her face.  
  
It's the pity that shines through her that had him shaking. He doesn't need her pity and he survives this long without help.  
  
And if there's one thing he learned about her is that she always helps and nose around others business that's what gets her in trouble back with the pirates, in the mining prisonhold and who knows what else.  
  
But he only sighs in resignation. No point in losing his temper. He might end up in the dangeons of the Dai Li if they fought each other.  
  
And he's pretty sure those secret agents will take the waterbender's side, with the way she's dressed like some of those aristocrats who sometimes visit the shop.  
\---  
A messenger knocks and gives a palace invitation to Iroh, interrupting his storytime.  
  
Mushi and Lee have been invited to the palace.  
  
Coincidentally, on the same day Ambassador Katara's meeting was moved to.  
  
Naturally, Iroh suggests they go to the palace together.  
\---  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little moment that paves way to destiny.


	4. Instincts

\---  
Sokka has this tight knot in his belly he couldn't relief, as he made his way farther and farther away from the walled city of Ba Sing Se.  
  
He isn't scared to meet up with his father, in fact he is rather giddy at the prospect of travelling alone.  
  
But the letter that Toph received spelled out trouble to him. Tons of questions linger inside his head. But the hope that shines through her face was enough to keep his mouth shut.  
  
He has doubts Aang understood what that training entails too. The young Avatar has yet to fully grasp the sacrifices everyone has to make in this war. Still can't comprehend the lives on the line for him. But he shut his mouth and let Aang learn on his own.  
  
He can't explain it much but the knot is turning to lead as his thoughts stray to his sister.  
  
He frowns, he isn't sure leaving her alone in the walled city is the best option. He trusts Katara to take care of herself, of course. But the nagging feeling he just couldn't shake keeps him awake at night. He's worried for all of them.  
  
Sokka is a guy who trusts his instinct above all. He believes that fate and destiny are just made up words to have another excuse to worship the gods the people pray to.  
  
Afterall, was it destiny that killed his mom? Was it fate that almost erased the airnomads to the face of the earth? Was the war meant to happened in the first place?  
  
But Yue was also touched by the moon spirit and ultimately was the one able to save the balance of the world right in front of his eyes.  
  
Aang was in the iceberg for a hundred years too. And coincidentally ended up the lost Avatar.  
  
And his mom died for Katara. And look at his baby sister now, a prodigy and a master at a young age of 14.  
  
Sokka's instinct screams at him to turn back and regroup as fast as possible but maybe, just maybe, sometimes it's right to ignore his gut feelings and let destiny do its thing.  
\---  
Toph should've known her parents wouldn't be lenient to her. Their strict way of living is the reason she ran away in the first place afterall.  
  
But still, she can't help but cry silently in the metal box they put her in. She had known something is wrong about that letter. But she pushed the bad feelings away and let herself hope foolishly. This is something she didn't know she wanted afterall.  
  
And this journey was the longest time and farthest away she had been from home. She misses her parents too.  
  
Toph sighs and starts to feel for the earth and stone she knows are there somewhere. No point in crying herself to sleep tonight.  
  
Aang, Katara, Momo, Appa and Sokka are her family now. And they need her the most.  
  
Her instinct screams at her to get out and find the others. She will not ignore it the second time.  
\---  
Aang always knew he never wanted to be the Avatar. He just wants to be a normal kid. Making friends and traveling the world.  
  
He never wanted to be the bridge between the living world and the spirit world. Bending Air is enough for him. Saving the world is way too much to ask a 12 year old afterall.  
  
And he hates almost every responsibilities of being the Avatar. Especially now, Guru Pathik's teachings of the Chi Pathways. Let go of his earthly attachments. All of it.  
  
But how can he do that when he had lost everything else except it? How can they ask that on a 12 year old boy?  
  
He's slowly losing his temper. Is the universe so selfish, it wouldn't let him be?  
  
But Aunt Wu had said, "You have the power to shape your own destiny."  
  
Aang will just have to find it. Create it his way. And maybe, he'll be able to stop the war his way.  
  
But Guru Pathik warns, "Learn to let her go or there will be consequences, young Avatar. Do not test fate, it does not favor anyone."  
  
That sounded familiar somehow, but the storm inside of him only intensifies.  
  
There's something big going to happened soon. He frowns and wonders what could it be.  
\---  
The astmosphere around them shifts as they entered the palace. Iroh couldn't put what it is but the subtle shift has prick his senses.  
  
The two continue to bicker at each other behind him as they make their way to the holding room. Katara's snide remarks and his nephew's retaliations are starting to get to his old nerves. If he hadn't known better, he'd think the two had missed each other.  
  
Iroh sighs and resigns himself to the noise the two teens make.  
  
After a while, an escort led Katara away, the silence that follows send the hair on the back of his neck standing.  
  
Zuko must have notice it too, his hunch form taunt and ready to leapt at any given provocation.  
  
Iroh sighs. There will be no tea served today.  
\---  



	5. The Crystal Cave

\---  
The cave is thankfully alight with the crystal stones hangging from the celling and walls.   
  
Katara has been sitting on the same spot for Spirits knew how long. Azula have Ba Sing Se. And once Aang and the others got back here, they're done for.   
  
Maybe the others will be thrown on the cave too and they can regroup and plan together. And atleast then, she wouldn't be alone.  
  
The place has been creeping her up ever since she woke up alone. It vaguely looks like the one under Omashu, but somehow she knew this place is bigger and used for more sinister purposes.  
  
The wind whistles somewhere from the inside that sounded like screaming. The smallest scraps sound like nails trying to crawl through the walls.  
  
A chill runs down her spine. Hopefully, someone will remember a watertribe girl in the cave, soon.  
  
The ceiling above opens up and lo and behold, Prince Zuko comes tumbling down.  
  
He looks like he's been beaten up for sometime. Dried blood matted his hair, splotches of it on his green robes. And his good eye swollen shut.  
  
She frowns. His fight must have turned ugly. Thankfully hers didn't.  
  
"You look like you had a rough time." She couldn't help but remark.  
  
He clutches his head in pain.  
  
"Shut up." He hisses.  
  
She feels a little bad but she doesn't offer help, not yet.   
  
"Do you know where we are?" She asks instead. Filling in the silence to stop herself from worrying over the prince who's labor breath seems to tremble unendingly.  
  
"I said, shut up, woman. You're too loud."   
  
She frowns at the woman remark. But let it slides, she couldn't smack his head and further damage him now, can she?  
  
She sighs and stays quiet, assessing what injuries she can see. Where is his uncle anyway?  
  
He needs help either way. And nobody's gonna help them here.   
  
She feels for the water inside the walls, but she has to be careful not to pull to hard and too much or the walls will crumble down.  
  
She moves a few step towards him. A little afraid he'll throw fire at her with not enough water to defend herself with.  
  
"Hey." She utters unsure, wondering what got into her for even attempting to help him.  
  
"What." He snaps. She is half tempted to let him suffer there but the idea of seeing a dead body come morning is enough to move her around.   
  
"I'm a healer, let me see." She replies. And remembers Sokka whenever his 'manly' pride wouldn't allow her to help him.   
  
"Why?" Zuko asks and they are back at the town where his uncle was struck by Azula.   
  
The distrust in his voice hurts as much as the stung on her pride when Zuko warned them off with fire over their heads after she offered to heal his uncle.   
  
Why is she even offering help is beyond her. She would normally offer help to whoever needed it, but this is the prince who chased them around the world for a year.   
  
The same prince who kidnapped her, called her so many unpleasant things, mocked her over and over again. The one that burned villages down to get what he wants. The prince that given the right moment could have killed her, her brother and her friends.   
  
If anything, he deserves to suffer if a little bit.  
  
But she lets her instinct to help won.   
  
As patiently as coaxing Sokka on one of his days. She repeats, "Let me help."  
  
Because that's what she is. She helps. She is good. That's what she is made of. She refuses to believe otherwise.  
  
For a moment he stops trembling. And she wonders if he passed out but he only lifted his head and looked at her for a moment.  
  
He must've seen what he's looking for because he slowly nods at her.   
  
As she pulls the water little by little, Zuko sits still. The water starts glowing as she starts to looked for her patient's worst injury.   
  
She has to start from the head. It isn't fractured thankfully.   
  
As she slowly heals bruises on his face, he frowns, hisses smoke and his trembling intensified, like a polarcat ready to leapt and tear her skin apart.  
  
She has to stop now and then to make him comfortable. She doesn't linger on his face much.   
  
The ribs are only bruised too. His labor breaths is due to well placed bruises all over his torso. Whoever roughen the prince up, knows what he was doing.   
  
Katara is sweating through her dark green robes by the time all the bruises and cuts are healed.   
  
After she's finished. She pats his shoulder and he glares up at her.   
  
So much for a 'thank you.'  
  
"Where's your Uncle?" She asks instead.  
  
"We split up." Not the wisest idea.   
  
Probably his.  
  
"You're sister?"  
  
"Enjoying invading Ba Sing Se."  
  
"For how long?"   
  
"I don't know. They ambushed us the same day we got to the palace, the day before yesterday."  
  
That will explain why she is famished.   
  
"You have food?"  
  
"Do I look like a delivery guy to you?"  
  
Good point.  
  
"Whatever, we have to get out of here. Any idea where we are?"  
  
"Underneath Ba Sing Se."  
  
"Obviously."  
  
"No, the city beneath Ba Sing Se. The Crystal Catacombs. I've read about it before." Of course, when he was hunting for the Avatar.  
  
"Are we somewhere near the palace?"   
  
"Yeah. I think we're right beneath it."  
  
"Where do you think you're Uncle is?"  
  
"I don't know, but by the way they were interrugating me about him, I'd say he escaped the inner wall."  
  
"Good. Now, we have to get out the inner walls too."  
  
"What? Shouldn't we wait for your Avatar to come and rescue you?"  
  
She glares at him.   
  
What an ungrateful -.  
  
"As much as I'd like to sit around and do nothing, I'm starving. Besides, Aang and the others are out of the city. They're not coming back."   
  
It will be better if they wouldn't. Of course, she wants them to go back for her. But if they did, they are all done for. All those planning are going to waste if they are all captured by Azula.   
  
She gulps and finally reality seems to catch up on her.   
  
Here she is, beneath the palace. Starved for three days, only drinking a little water. With the Fire Nation exile Prince for a companion. Can she even call him that?  
  
She trembles, if they even managed to get out of here alive, it'll be too late for Ba Sing Se. Aang and the others have no way of knowing the trap that had been laid for them.   
  
And this time, she knows for sure, Azula isn't playing.   
\---  
The waterbender trembles for sometime, before Zuko clears his throat to catch her attention.   
  
He feels oddly refreshed from whatever the waterbender did. And he is silently thankful for it. They had beaten him to pulp yesterday. And Azula didn't even break a sweat. And just thrown him here.   
  
He knows the reputation the Crystal Cave has. A dungeon reserved for the worst criminals in Earth Kingdom.   
  
Thankfully, the whole cave is patterned in a form of a city. That means there is in and out of it. Many mining trailways are supposed to liter the place.   
  
Some of it goes as far as to the lower ring. But the maps he had studied before was centuries old. And might not be as reliable.  
  
But still worth the shot. Or else they will die here, forgotten for the rest of time.  
  
They just have to get out of the dungeons first, find the center of the city and from there they should be fine. They can force their way out of whatever stone doors that may stand before them anyway.   
  
And the Dai Li wouldn't be there. They will be concentrated all over the palace for the arrival of the Avatar afterall.  
  
He could climb the door ceiling here and blast some fire to open it. But the fall and the shock will leave him immobile for a while if he isn't careful. And he knows for sure the Dai Li is outside waiting for him to just do that.  
  
Strangely, working with the waterbender seems the right thing to do for now.   
  
"We should move out."  
  
She nods and stands up. She has been here for three days around the same time he had last eaten.   
  
It seems starving will be the death of them if they don't try and kill each other first.  
\---


	6. Made in Earth Kingdom

They had been arguing none stop. Again and again with the same subject.  
  
They are hungry, _famished_. And the water is soothing them little. It feels like days before they stopped and rested. But their angry stomach wouldn't let them rest much.  
  
Katara's snaps for the umpteent time when they came across the five door pathways again.  
  
They had tried the first on the left but somehow ended up on the same pathways again. Then they tried the one on the farthest right. And left a few marks on the wall to let them know if they are running circles.  
  
But the marks stayed. And they are left famished and tired and angry.  
  
"Are you even sure what you're doing?" Katara says for a hundredth time. They had had this conversation going for the longest time.  
  
"I told you, we just need to get out of the dungeons and to the center of the city." Zuko says, as calmly as he could. _Really_, how come this woman won't shut up about it.  
  
He can tell Katara's close to tears with her frustrations. If they can't find food soon, he's afraid they're going to start hurting each other.  
  
He takes a calming breath and ignores his nagging stomach.  
  
"Then why isn't working?!" She has the audacity to whine. Maybe flying off on that fat fur ball spoiled this woman, no - _stupid girl_, a little too much.  
  
He has a sudden urge to strangle her for her idiocy but successfully resists it. It wouldn't help to have a companion, who can draw water out of the walls and heal injuries, _dead_. He repeats it again and again. But couldn't help but snap some remarks too.  
  
"Well atleast I'm doing something." He mumbles. Pointing directions isn't much but still.  
  
"Is this what you call doing something? Ha! I shouldn't expect less from a prince!"  
  
This _girl_.  
  
He sighs fire, checks himself and is about to suggest going for the middle door when the scratching noise from the day before grew louder.  
  
The waterbender thankfully stays quiet and starts drawing out water from the walls.  
  
Their loud voices might have drawn whatever it is out.  
  
He draws his knife out that the Dai Li didn't even bother searching for in his robes and gives it to her.  
  
Her questionning look went unanswered as he goes to whatever it is making that damned noise.  
\---  
It doesn't sound like a horde of canyon crawlers who attack everything that smelt like food, thankfully. Katara relaxes a little bit. It sounds like tiny claws digging into the dirt in hurried pace.  
  
She lets Zuko scare it away.  
  
But it seems he has better idea.  
  
He runs to it head on, even before she has a proper glimpse of what could it be.  
  
After some shuffling and fists of fire. The heavy silence scares her.  
  
"Zuko?" She couldn't see what's on the otherside.  
  
Her heart thumps loudly. If that stupid boy got injured brawling with whatever it is, she'll laugh at him. But if he's more than hurt...  
  
The idea of walking around the cave alone makes her breath shakes a little bit.

Katara runs after him. Why is this boy so stupid!? Even Sokka wouldn't go after it unless its meat.  
  
Dagger in her left hand and water or the other, she runs with all her strength left.  
  
The tiny claws she'd imagined turns out to be gigantic pair of spider-crab claws. Each pair double the size of her head.  
  
It's eight other legs the size of Zuko, even more. If it were standing up, Katara's sure it will be as tall as the ceiling.  
  
How Zuko beat the crap out of shelled spider, she had no idea.  
  
He begins to stack up stones in circle with a fist size whole to a side.  
  
It looks like he's making a stove.  
  
She decides to leave him to it and inspects the spider-crab closer. She had heard about the spider-crab being a delicacy somewhere in Earth Kingdom. But she'd only ever seen it on markets beside ports before, but never the size of this. This thing is gigantic.  
  
She isn't sure if there was a breed of spider-crab that's poisonous. And she hopes this isn't one of those.  
  
She grabs one of its claw and swipes it out of its arm using the knife that has an engraved, "Made in Earth Kingdom" in it.  
  
They work silently after a while. She breaks part of it little by little while he works on how to assemble the rocks and look for what he can burn to cook it.  
  
He ends up just throwing his hand in the air, fustrated. There isn't much of a tree down here anyway.  
  
While she arranges the legs in the make up stove and he lights it from the tiny whole with his hand.

She stays silent and lets him meditate through cooking it with his fire. It'll take a toll on him and the last thing she wants is having him too frustrated and have the dinner, or is it lunch?, half cooked.

It turns out he is much more energize than she is. She's halfway to the dreamland when he calls out to her. He calls her waterbender. It's an upgrade from being called a peasant, she thinks. Too hungry and tired to call him out.  
  
"Is it cooked yet?" She asks drowsily. And wipes the little drool off of her face.  
  
He frowns at her, as if he's offended. To what, she doesn't think much of it. And just replies, "More or less."  
  
The spider-crab's shell is black on one side. And her voice makes a funny noise when she shouts at him to stop bending.  
  
She makes a frustated noise and mumbles about boys not being able to cook for the life of them.  
  
He just snorts and takes the knife from her side to chop the shell in half. The spider-crab isn't burnt like she thought.  
  
She refuses to thank him for the food.  
\---


	7. Visions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time skip.

It's been a month since Ba Sing Se had fallen in the hands of a fourteen year old hieress of the Fire Nation. Sokka has never wanted to murder a child younger than he, but the thought of what the wicked witch is doing to his baby sister sends his blood boiling, ready to hurl his boomerang at the girl and send her to the Spirit World.  
  
Aang has yet to show up and Toph is nowhere to be found. They were supposed to meet up in the palace yesterday. But Azula has Ba Sing Se now and hopefully they knew what's been going on. He ignores the worry for the other two and focuses on, yet again, how to infiltrate Ba Sing Se on his own and rescue his sister if this old folks only waited for things to happened, his sister will be dead before he even scaled the walls.  
  
When he found out the Fire Nation now occupied the walled city, he made sure to blend in with refugees and hid Appa far on the mountains. Gathering information here and there before taking action was slow and was making him lose his mind but it all came into fruition when he accidentally overheard some old folks talking cryptic over Pai Sho.  
  
And thankfully, he's suspicious enough to stick by and watch. And desperate enough to try anything to get to his sister. It was by sheer luck that he overheard the entry code.  
  
"If people have me, people want to share me. If people share me, people hasn't have me. What am I?  
  
_Secret_."  
  
"A ship that can be made to ride the greatest waves.  
Not built by objects,  
but built by minds.  
  
More precious than gold,  
But can never be bought.  
Can never be sold,  
Only earned if its sought.  
At birth, it can't start nor by death is it ended?  
  
_Friendship_."  
  
When Senyu, the old man who he played his first Pai Sho with, assisted him on one back rooms. He was sure that would be the end for him. He wasn't prepared to see old wrinkling men come to life. Sadly, he was subdued before he even thought of escaping.  
  
They brought him to another room and question his intentions. And he was forced to tell them who he was and what he sought for.  
  
It took them a few days to know he wasn't bluffing. And another week before Jeong Jeong arrived and vouched for him.  
  
"He is indeed the Avatar's companion, you foolish men. He's telling the truth. Bring him to the Grand Lotus he'll know."  
  
That's when they brought him to the Fire Nation Prince's Uncle. He all but screeched and struggled hopelessly. He should have known it was a trapped.  
  
"Calm down, young man. I am indeed the former Crown Prince. But I have travelled a different path. Now, I am Iroh the Grand Lotus." The goofy grin Iroh had given him wasn't enough to ease his suspicions.  
  
"Where's the jerk bender?" Sokka was hoping to rile him up then maybe he'll throw him to his room/prison cell again so he can attempt escape.  
  
"Ah. He is also in the clutches of Princess Azula. If my assumptions are right, your sister and Prince Zuko will be on the dungeons beneath the Earth Palace."  
  
Dungeons. _No_. He had been too late. There is no way Katara can survive in a dungeon for almost a month.  
  
Sokka had clutched his head in worry. He had failed her. He shouldn't have mingled too long with these foolish men. He should have headed straight to the palace and confronted Azula then maybe he'll be able to save Katara.  
  
"You shouldn't worry much, Sokka. She is with my nephe-"  
  
"How can that make me worry less!?" And she was with a jerk of a man. _No_.  
  
"Worry not. The dungeons have a system. It was a city centuries ago. And water and fishes can be trapped inside them. Food will be scarce but it'll do. As long as they keep going. They'll be able to survive."  
  
After that he was introduced in ways of the White Lotus but only a little. He wasn't even mad that he was able to scratch only the surface of an ancient organization but was instead relief washes over him.  
  
They were people working behind the scene. His ragtag team of misfits wasn't the only hope for the world. Maybe even his own father was working with these men too.  
  
His view on generally Fire Nation shifted. The White Lotus have people around the world. Not just Earth Kingdom and Watertribes but also from Fire Nation.  
  
And the Grand Lotus Iroh, day by day, challenges Sokka with different philosophies over tea. It helped a little to alleviate his worries for his sister and the two children. And Sokka respected the older man a little more.  
  
But now, a month has past and no good news reached him yet. He was told there were men infiltrating the Earth Palace and rescuing his sister and that jerk of a Prince. But no news from them has reached him and he is going restless.  
  
He was told to stay put but he can't do that. Especially if he isn't sure anymore if his sister will survived for another day. Tomorrow, he decided, he will go in himself with the fake passport that was given to him days ago.  
\---  
With all the mental plans he has prepared, he is slightly miffed to throw it all away the very next morning just before his departure. A good news reached him. Not what he is expecting but just as good. Because now Toph is coming to his direction.  
  
"Snoozles!" Toph greets him while running on waves of earth. Thankfully, the bar that is now considered the hideout just a few miles outside Ba Sing Se is empty except for him and some lookout who seems like he is running for his life away from the little girl.  
  
Sokka is about to shout for her to stop but is promptly thrown on the floor by the force of the smaller child's hug. And to his utter shock, she is snuggling his chest. His hands are trapped on his side so he can only tap her back to sooth her a little.  
  
When she finally let go she sniffs and brushes what seems to be tears from her face. Is she blushing? He grabs her by the shoulder and asks what has been bothering him.  
  
"Where have you been you stupid child?!" He hasn't known he was this worried about her and Aang. But seeing her relief him to some extent.  
  
"Long story short. I was kidnapped by my own parents. Trapped in a metal cage. But I metal bended and ta-dah! I'm free again. Took me long to find your signature heartbeat. You were the closest and I think there something wrong in Ba Sing Se, so don't go in alone." She says in one breath.  
  
"Okay. But we have to get inside. Katara's still there with Jerk Bender and his Psycho sister."  
  
"Wait. What do you mean Zuko and Azula are there? Ba Sing Se will not - _Oh_. So that's what it is. They have Ba Sing Se now." Toph pales and he has to wonder if she has eaten yet.  
  
"Let's go inside I'll explain everything I can."  
\---  
Aang has been training for almost two months now. And the training is ending too slow for his liking.  
  
He has lost patience now and then. Snapping at his Guru who just nods in understanding way. Then he will feel bad and Guru Pathik will just make the onion and banana juice to ease his stress.  
  
They have been like this for the last few weeks.  
  
He doesn't know what's wrong. Somehow he is doing something wrong and he can't hold on to the Avatar State long enough. That will fuel his impatience and they will repeat their routine again.  
  
Is he just stress because if he don't master the Avatar state the fight for world peace will be lost? Is he just on a teenager phase, as Guru Pathik diagnosed? But he isn't teenage yet but maybe being force to grow fast can do that.  
  
He wonders if they should have waited until he masters all the element first before jumping for the Avatar state like any normal Avatar did.  
  
Maybe they should have. Maybe he is supposed to be a sixteen year old boy first before learning he was the Avatar. Then maybe he'll have the patience to do all these things at once. Then maybe he'll be the Avatar the world needs.  
  
But then, he'll be dead like the rest of the his people. He'll not be able to meet Katara, Sokka, Toph and Momo.  
  
Why destiny works in such a way, will always be a mystery. He is the Avatar, yet fate has not been kind to him.  
  
He was tasked to let go of his earthly attachments and be one with everyone, with everything. Yet it isn't working.  
  
Too much fustrations made him explodes, literally.  
  
He hasn't expected the flames to be mixed with the air he let out. Guru Pathik has screeched and has to roll on the ground to put out the fire.  
  
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!" Aang says as he helps him put the fire out of his but only ended up firing it up more because he had used air instead of water to put it out.  
  
After the commotion ended, Guru Pathik pats Aang head before saying, "It seems that the onion and banana juice isn't helping much. I guess we'll have to try a different one tonight."  
  
And Guru Pathik left him to his thoughts.  
  
Aang sits in front of the fountain they had been meditating on.  
  
He has been running away from the visions far too long not to acknowledge it. Maybe now, he should confront it.  
  
He had seen Katara in some cave. Had seen Zuko with her. He hadn't worried too much about it but somehow the visions progressed from there. And that progress had him exploding just thinking about it.  
  
He had seen them _kissing_.  
  
He thought he was just being shown his greatest fears. But somehow he wasn't too sure about that.  
  
It had seemed genuine. Everything about it had seemed real.  
  
And he can't take it anymore. He can't take this torture anymore. The affections shinning in Katara eyes is the only thing he had ever wished for. He wanted it to be him reflected in those blue eyes but instead it was _him_. And then last night they were -  
  
He can't take it anymore. He has to find out if she's alright and to make sure nothing in his visions were real. He'll just be gone for a couple of days and be right back to resume his training. He just has to clear his mind of this poison rage brewing inside of him.  
  
So he writes a letter to Guru Pathik and leaves before twilight. Not knowing, destiny is being rewritten that night.

\---

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry this took so long. But yes progress!!!


	8. Choices

The run towards the Earth Palace has been exhilarating after months of inaction. With all the waiting the White Lotus put them through, Sokka was shocked to find out their plan was just distract Azula and the Dai Li then rescue his sister and the angry jerk from the dungeons. That's it.  
  
They were all waiting on Aang to show up for some time. And he can't tell if he is mad at these old folks that clearly had already become senile or mad at himself because even he can't think anything better than what they had planned.  
  
Afterall, Ba Sing Se wasn't called the last stronghold for nothing. And infiltrating it head on is hopeless and will only end up on bloodbath.  
  
With just the Avatar, the Dragon of the West, the Blind Bandit, the genuis himself, and some old people. The rescue mission will be as peaceful as he hopes it can be.  
  
Distract, divide, rescue and then run for your lives.  
  
Now, Toph and Sokka just have to rile up the whole inner walls with Appa. Divide the Dai Li concentrated on the Palace, lead them to the waiting oldfolks and fight tooth and nail to lessen their numbers.  
  
Aang and Iroh will be on the dungeons looking for their lost companions. Sokka wanted to be the one sent on the dungeons to rescue his sister with Toph that will be the fastest way. But logic suggests that if Aang will be on the front lines, the Dai Li will be able to capture him even with other masters to help him. So the Avatar was kept hidden and sent on the rescue mission. While he was sent on the distraction team.  
  
He had suggested Toph to be sent down the dungeons as well, but was promptly told off because if something happens down in the dungeons they have to relay on ground support to be able to dig them all out.  
  
It made sense. But it isn't enough to lessen his worries. It's been two long months since he last saw his sister well, afterall.  
\---  
Toph has her fair share of brawling. She had been the undefeated champion in the underground wrestling tournaments. But nothing came close to fighting her way through the Dai Li's.  
  
They are merciless. Every thrown rock will bruise even snap some bones, if you don't know your way around. Every form the Dai Li took left their defenses weak little by little. And it is hard for her to admit it but if they want to make it out of here complete and alive. They better run. Now.  
  
But lucky Sokka and White Lotus' old folks, Toph is anything but coward. And she just mastered a secret technique she is damn sure nobody knows yet.  
  
She smirks and streches her fingers. Time to put these stuck up in the ass Dai Li's back in their places.  
  
The metal train beside her groans loudly. It takes too much of her effort to force the metal into thin strip that coils around the feet of her nearby opponents but has been done neatly. Now, she just have to finish -  
  
What Toph isn't expecting is the Circus Freak gliding towards her. Thankfully, she is able to shift the ground beneath the bubbly girl when Toph finally took notice and is able to dodge the blow to her left shoulder.  
  
What a nuisance.  
\---  
Iroh had personally calculated the direction and distance his nephew likely took in the cave. If everything is alright, they should be able to meet up somewhere in the radius of the center of the city.  
  
He has been lighting the way for the Avatar, who has grown quiet yet again. Aang had just mastered the Avatar State, he was told. But somehow Iroh doubts it. The timing is wrong and the Avatar's stance is telling him otherwise.  
  
Aang is too agitated. Too easy to snap. Too irritated. Too _childish_. But Iroh had not learned a few ways to settle an angsty teenager - or in this case an agitated Avatar - for naught.  
  
That's why he had insisted the Avatar be on the rescue instead of the distraction team.  
  
If he is this distracted outside on the ground, Iroh is sure the Avatar will be captured. But hopefully seeing the watertribe girl safe with his nephew will ease the tension on the young Avatar's shoulders.  
  
"So, Toph thinks you give pretty good advice, and great tea!" The Avatar starts, uncertain and almost shy.  
  
"The key to both is proper aging. What's on your mind, young Avatar?" Iroh says patiently.  
  
"Please call me Aang." Aang says as he continues to earthbend.  
  
"Of course, Aang. What can I do for you?"  
  
"Well, I met with this guru who was supposed to help me master the Avatar State and control this great power, but to do it, I had to let go of my earthly attachments. Like someone I love. And I just couldn't do that."  
  
"Perfection and power are overrated. I think you were very wise to choose happiness and love." It is only natural for the Dragon of the West to see things a little in the brighter light. He is an optimist afterall. And he believes everyone has seen enough darkness for him to add on to it.  
  
However, Iroh pauses and thinks it over, once again.  
  
He had seen the Avatar - Aang as just a child, ever since he first saw him. A child not ready for the responsibilities laid before him. But Aang is still destined to be the child Avatar in the middle of a war.  
  
Everyone has to sacrifice something sometimes. And Iroh is sure every Avatar was asked to let go of their earthly attachments, including love, to master such a great power. Afterall, the greater the power, the greater the responsibilities.  
  
The older man has to stop himself from asking the younger man a simple question.  
  
_"How can it be called love, when to love is to let go? _  
  
_ If love is true, it is to let go._  
_ Love, when its real, is to let grow."_  
  
But the Dragon of the West kept his mouth shut. Praying to the Spirits he made the right decision on letting the Avatar be a child for a little longer.  
  
"What happens if we can't save anyone and beat Azula? Without the Avatar State, what if I'm not powerful enough?" Aang continues.  
  
"I don't know the answer. Sometimes, life is like this dark tunnel. You can't always see the light at the end of the tunnel, but if you just keep moving, you will come to a better place." Iroh replies and hopes for the best because he just realized all the people the foggy swam had called upon will be present in the Crystal Catacombs.  
  
Fate, it seems, is finally calling. Whatever the choices everyone makes today, will be _theirs_ for the rest of their lives.  
\---  
_"Be warned, opening the chakras is an intense experience, and once you begin the process, you cannot stop until all seven are open. Are you ready?"_  
  
_ "The Thought Chakra is located at the crown of the head. It deals with pure cosmic energy, and is blocked by earthly attachment. Meditate on what attaches you to this world. Now, let all of those attachments go. Let them flow down the river, forgotten."_  
  
_ "What? Why would I let go of Katara? I ... I love her!"_  
  
_ "Learn to let her go, or you cannot let the pure cosmic energy flow in from the universe."_  
  
_ "Why would I choose cosmic energy over Katara? How could it be a bad thing that I feel an attachment to her?"_  
  
_ "You must learn to let go."_  
  
_ "I'm sorry, but I can't let go of Katara."_  
  
_ "Surrender yourself."_  
  
Thoughts swirl over his head like a cloud looming over a peaceful afternoon. Aang tries hard to forget all the warnings. Back at the foggy swamps, he had seen Guru Pathik. And even then the Guru had already been warning him.  
  
_"No, Aang! By choosing attachment, you have locked the chakra! If you leave now, you won't be able to go into the Avatar State at all!"_ A voice inside his head that sounded like the Gury called out.  
  
A cold chill seems to creep on his spine as he realized he just made his choice. And he can only admit that he chooses selfishly. He wonders what will happened now.  
  
But whatever fate throws his way, he's sure he'll be able to handle it. He's the Avatar, afterall.  
  
He'll just create his own destiny like Aunt Wu had said and he's sure he'll be able to see the light on the end of the tunnel like Iroh had just said. Everything will be alright.  
\---  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Especially thanks to Avatar Wiki for the transcript of Crossroad of Destiny. Have I mentioned I own nothing? Haha 
> 
> Let me know what you think!


	9. Thicker Than Water

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know if I should raise the ratings from G to M. But this is a warning to all. Be warned. This chapter is dark.

When Aang and Iroh broke through another wall, they were ecstatic to finally see their missing companions.

It doesn't escape their notice how the two of them are intimately close. Zuko has his back from the explosion holding the girl's form while Katara is turned towards them with a thin water whip at a ready, almost protectively around Zuko's back. 

Aang can see Katara's eyes blink a few times. But once her eyes adjusted, her eyes widen.

"Aang!" She shouts and bounces up from her seated position in Zuko's arms. She immediately hugs Aang, obviously relief. There are tears on her face.

Aang just stood for a moment, blinking away Katara's form in the arms of Zuko. Before hugging the girl back possesively and giving a nasty glare towards Zuko.

"Where's Sokka? Toph?" Katara asks as she lets go of the younger boy.

The young firebender glares back and is immediately siezed in the arms of his uncle.

"Zuko!" The rotund man says.

"Uncle." He says softly before adding, "What are you doing with the Avatar?"

But it is Aang who replied snidely.

"Saving you, that's what." Katara grips the Avatar's arm and gives him a frown as Zuko took a step towards Aang. But Iroh stops him.

"Zuko, it's time we talk." Iroh says before turning towards the other two.

"Go help your other friends. We'll catch up with you."

Aang immediately turns around and runs toward the cave.

"Wait!" Katara says and then faces Iroh. 

"I need to speak to Zuko." When the older man just lifted his eyebrows, Katara has to add, "Privately, please?"

Iroh gives them a knowing smile then turns toward the Avatar. Katara and Zuko turn another corner to have some privacy.  
  
After a few moment of whispering and now silence, Aang finally called out to Katara.

When they finally emerged Iroh is giving the younger firebender a _look_. Wiggling his eyebrows suggestively as Zuko looks on to Katara's retreating back. Zuko hears his uncle murmur something that sounded suspiciously like, '_Whipped_.'

The younger prince just turns his back and says, "Not now, Uncle." A heavy burden seems to fall on his shoulder as Katara and the Avatar went farther and farther away from him.

"What is it you wanted to talk about, Uncle?" The younger man asks.

"You're not the man you used to be, Zuko. You are stronger and wiser and freer than you have ever been. And now you have come to the crossroads of your destiny. It's time for you to choose. It's time for you to choose good." His Uncle says, suddenly serious. And Zuko has to look at him to make sure it is really his Uncle speaking.

But before he could even comprehend that his Uncle is saying he betray his - _their_ own country and reply, crystals grow to encase Iroh. 

Zuko yells and assumes a fighting stance as Azula and some Dai Li's made their entrance.

"I expected this kind of treachery from Uncle. But Zuko, _Prince_ Zuko, you're a lot of things, but you're not a traitor, are you?" Azula says, smirking a little bit at her brother.

"Release him immediately." He says instead. There has been alot of talking about treachery lately. 

"I would honor you with a fight. But sadly, I have a better destiny to claim today than defeating my disgrace of a brother. No wonder _she_ left immediately for the Avatar. Who are you compared to the Avatar? You are nothing. You have nothing. And she must have seen what a coward you truly are. Running away from your destiny instead of claiming it." There's a pause before Azula added, "But, it's not too late for you, Zuko. You can still redeem yourself. You can still be _Prince_ Zuko you were meant to be."

"The kind of redemption she offers is not for you." Iroh slides in the conversation.

"Why don't you let _him_ decide, Uncle? I need you, Zuko. I've plotted every move of this day, this glorious day in Fire Nation history, and the only way we win is together. At the end of this day, you will have your honor back. You will have Father's love. You will have _everything_ you want."

Katara's smiling face flashes inside his head, and Zuko has no doubt that Azula knows what's been happening inside the Crystal Catacombs. He seeths with this realization.

"Zuko, I am begging you. Look into your heart and see what it is that you truly want." His Uncle's words snap him back to reality.

"You have always been free to choose, brother. _Zu-zu_." Azula says almost affectionately. Then suddenly adds, "You just chose _so_ stupidly."

"When you want to become a man of honor again, come find me. _Maybe_ I'll be there to help you redeem yourself. And maybe then you'll remember _I'm_ family too." His sister continues as she and the Dai Li's head out towards the Avatar and Katara's direction.

Zuko stands still for a few moment, aware that his Uncle is talking to him. But he couldn't hear any of it. Instead all he heard is Azula's voice. His redemption. He'll have his honor back. His father's acceptance. He'll be something again. He'll be worth something again. He'll have anything he ever wanted.

Father. Home. Honor. 

_Katara_.  
\--  
"Aang, slow down." Katara calls out as she tries to catch her breath, jogging her way to the Avatar.

"What were you doing with Zuko!?" Aang seeths as he suddenly turns towards her. 

Katara gives him a bewildered look as a faint blush creeps up her cheeks.

"What is it with you!?" She replies indignantly. And adds, "I've been trapped here for who knows how long and all you care about is what I've been doing with Zuko this whole time? What's the matter with you!?" 

Then Aang suddenly sees the condition Katara's in. Her cheeks are hollowed, there's no roundness in her face anymore, as if she had shed her childfulness too as her robes hangs loosely around her body. He can clearly see where her shoulders are pointing at. He feels bad that he hadn't gone to get her sooner. 

"I'm sorry. I'm just worried about all this." Aang apologizes and as always Katara just nods her head in acceptance.

"We've got to find Sokka and Toph." She replies tiredly. They were just running for a couple of minutes and the way she sighs tiredly worried him. She isn't ready for a fight.

Suddenly, a bolt of lightning attacks them from behind. Aang stops it using earthbending. Azula fires another one but Katara bends the water from the creek to stop it.

As mist forms around them, Azula continues to attack but Katara and Aang immediately synchronize and waterbend to stop it. As the fight continues, Azula is able to go between the duo, hands pointed at each direction ready to blast fire.

But a fire blast stops her from attacking, as Zuko joins in the fight. 

"Zuko!" Katara shouts, ecstatic to see him again so soon. 

But Zuko only looks amongst the three of them as he decides who to attack first and as if by habit he starts attacking Aang.

Before Katara can even comprehend what Zuko just did, Azula starts attacking her. 

Aang just dodges and that made Zuko furious. Finally, Aang uses earthbending to send a tsunami of rocks around the perimeter sending the Fire Prince flying.

Katara uses the water to form around her body then sends a tentacle towards the Princess' foot, capturing it.

"Zuko!" Azula shouts as she struggles on the water tentacles that captures her foot and now her arm too.

There's a split second of doubt before Zuko sends a fire blast to free his sister. Azula runs toward the Avatar instead who just crawls out of the creater he created.

Zuko and Katara stand face to face with the creek dividing them.

"Don't do this, Zuko. Please, don't." Katara says as she looks Zuko in the eyes. Her wide eyes filled with unshed tears, pleading him silently to reconsider. Because she doesn't want to end it like this. She doesn't want to hurt him. 

"No. You don't understand. It's futile to fight. Surrender now and nobody has to get hurt, Katara. Not you. Not the Avatar. Not your brother. Or that little earthbender." Zuko replies as determined as the day she first saw him. But now, there's a shift in him she couldn't understand. Like he already decided. Like his choice had been made.

A few tears leaked out of her eyes. As Katara still refuses to believe that this is the same man she had grown to -

"Come with me. To Fire Nation. I told you I'll show you around, remember? It isn't that bad as you thought. And together, we can change something, somehow." He continues extending a hand out towards her even with the distance between them.

"You're a good person, I know it, Zuko! This isn't the way!" Katara grows frustrated as the tears fell down her face. She closes her fist as her arms shakes beside her.

"No! You're still holding on! You really think that kid can actually save the whole world from my father? Look around you! Nobody's trying to help you now! Come with me, Katara. _Please_." Zuko pleads, arm shaking. 

"You're a monster." Katara seeths, unable to stop her anger from rising. Because how dare he - the Avatar is the _only_ hope the world has and he dares to - after all they have been through?

"_Yes_. I am." Zuko replies, resolutely with a blank face. Maybe Katara shouldn't have said that. But too late for that now. He made his choice. Hers didn't even change from the very start. 

"I thought you've changed." Katara says one last time, before sending a water whip towards his extended arm. He parries with his fire whip then replies, "I have changed."

Azula and Aang continue to fight, unmindful of the pause between Zuko and Katara. But Azula has the upper hand and is able to send the Avatar flying towards a wall of crystal.

After the Avatar didn't get up. Azula rushes to her brother's side, fighting the waterbender side by side. Katara is able to stand on her own for a few moment parrying the fireblasts that were sent her way, however when a Dai Li sends a rock it went through her defenses and she's knocked down, hard. Katara's necklace fell.

When Aang finally get up, he tries to get to Katara but the Dai Li suddenly forms around him. He can see the purple already forming onto the side Katara's forehead from her fall. 

Another group of Dai Li agents surround Katara as she faces off with the fire siblings. 

"She's mine. Nobody touches her." Zuko declares. But Zuko didn't see the small nod Azula sends toward a Dai Li agent.

Katara forms an octopus around her to defend herself from the inevitable onsaught of rocks and fire blasts.

"There's too many." Aang whispers to himself as he looks at Katara.

"Aang! Leave! _Go_!" Katara shouts at him. 

'_The only way is to let her go._' A voice whispers in his head. And Aang has no doubt it belongs to Guru Pathik.

"I'm sorry, Katara." Aang replies and turns away from her. Encasing himself with the glowing crystal as he starts meditating to the Avatar State.

When Aang finally entered the Avatar State, he starts to break free from the crystal case. Everyone looks up at him as he rises, and the ecstatic in the air went unnoticed.

Suddenly a bolt of lighting strikes the Avatar in the back. The light from the lightning blinded everyone for a few seconds. 

Nobody saw a Dai Li agent threw a rock towards an unsuspecting waterbender.

When the flashes stop, Katara immediately notices the ache in her chest. When she looks down she saw a rock wedged inside her chest.

Shocked, she tries to hold on to the streaming blood but Aang's life took precedence over her own. Over everybody elses. She crawls toward the Avatar who fell face first onto the floor. 

Suddenly, Iroh shows up and sends a fire blast towards the Fire siblings. The Dragon of the West forms a wall of fire between the two opposing sides.

"You've got to get out of here! I'll hold them off as long as I can!" Iroh exclaims as he looks back toward Katara and Aang.

But Katara only shakes her head and proceeds to heal the Avatar with the water from Spirit Oasis. The older man was about to retaliate and forcefully get the girl moving when he finally saw the blood streaming down the front of the waterbender.

Iroh stops midstep.

"Uncle, cease this nonsense." Zuko says as he parted the fire wall like a curtain. There's a crunch where he stepped in, when he look down he saw Katara's necklace's collar between his boot.

A rock cage forms suddenly around him and distracted, he isn't fast enough to dodge it. As the ceiling came crushing down beside Iroh and on it is the little earthbender and Katara's brother.

He sees Katara's hunch form hovering over the Avatar, who by the looks of it, is barely breathing. 

Zuko sees her brother shakes her a little with no reponse. She just stays on the same position. Then he finally sees the red liquid marring her green clothes. 

Somehow along the way, something terribly must have gone wrong.

Because now, there is a fist sized rock wedged inside Katara's chest where her heart should be.  
\---  
When Toph came crashing down to the party below, she expects everything but this.

She immediately siezed the little Prince, Iroh kept talking about as she felt the ring of fire protecting them from an army of the Dai Li on the other side. And there's more coming towards them. 

As Sokka lifts Aang's from Katara, the waterbender remains motionless. Even when Sokka keeps talking and hands Toph the Avatar.

That's when it hits her. Aang is barely breathing. But Katara - _Katara_ doesn't even have an ounce of a pulse within her.

Tears are already rolling down her face even before Sokka finally saw the extent of Katara's injuries.   
\---  
When Sokka finally arrived in the dungeons, he is glad Iroh is on their side as he saw the massive wall of fire. He immediately went to his sister's side, who is hovering over Aang.

He lifts Aang first, before depositing the Avatar to Toph. Still eyeing his sister who hasn't moved an inch from her hunched position. 

Liquid lead slowly makes its way in his stomach. Something's wrong. Something is _terribly, terribly _wrong. 

When he told her to get up already, she made no reply. When he shook her shoulders, he finally saw the blood flowing down her clothes.

_Nononono. This isn't happening. No._

When he finally saw the rock wedged in his sisters chest he isn't aware of the silent sob he made or the tears that streamed down his face. He falls down on his knees and just gapes at his sister.

Because there is just no way his sister is _dead_.  
\---


	10. The Glint of Light

"We have to leave! Now!" Toph wails because the Dai Li's are making their move towards them. Sokka has just stopped moving and she has to shake him roughly to get him to stand up. They are running out of time.

But Sokka refuses to leave Katara. And Toph never had it in her to tell him no when even she couldn't stop trembling. This isn't how it was supposed to happened.

She looks back at the old man and shouts, "Let's go!"

But he just takes on a bending stance and replies solemnly, "I'll hold them off."

When they are finally on Appa flying away from the Earth Palace, Sokka continues to rock Katara's lifeless body like a mother soothing her babe to sleep. But instead of soothing words, Sokka keeps bubbling stories and promises as Toph tries her hardest to keep her level head.

This can't be happening.

Then suddenly Sokka shouts to the heavens and with that his sobs grow louder. With no one to guide Appa, she isn't sure where they could end up to.

But she lets Sokka have this moment to grief. Because Toph never heard him cried helplessly before. Never heard him sounds so brokenly desperate.

Her sobs finally broke free, as she joins Sokka in his sorrows holding onto Aang's hand tightly.

Something cracks inside of her. Something in them will be left behind in Ba Sing Se, in that cursed caves and will forever be lost.  
\---  
The glow of the full moon, makes him cry out desperately.

Please. Please. Please. Someone. _Yue_. Please. Not her. Not Katara. Please.

A glint of light blinded him for a second. He sees the moon light reflected on a river somewhere hidden amongst the trees.

"Appa! Go towards the river!" Appa obeys and dives down towards the river.

Water can heal. Maybe it isn't too late.

"What?!" Tophs asks as she holds tightly onto the saddle and Aang.

Sokka makes no reply and just jumps off of Appa with Katara in his arms.

He immediately puts his sister down on the water, making sure her head stays above the water. Her head on his legs.

Then Sokka bows his head. Bowing to spirits who he isn't even sure are listening to one wailing man.

Then he prays. He isn't much of a believer of the heavens, the gods or the spirits. But he'll try anything to have his sister breathing again. _Anything_.

"Please, please. Listen. Just this once. Please just this once, hear me. Yue." He whispers desperately.

He doesn't know where to start. Who to talk to. But he'll spill his heart out if that's what it took.

"Please, I'll give you my life in exchange for hers. Take mine, instead. She's a great waterbender. She'll change the world someday, just give her a chance. She's -" he sobs, "She can still do so much. Please don't take her. Take me instead. I am nothing compared to what she is, what I know she can be. _Please_."

When nothing happens, he trembles further.

"We have to go, Sokka. The Dai Li will come this way. Please, Sokka." Toph says as she sobs softly.

But he ignores her. Because he will not let this be the end of his sister. Not Katara. Anything but his annoying, strong headed, always right, baby sister.

So can someone please hear him. Please. Because his heart is aching too much he couldn't breath, couldn't move. And the world keeps on moving forward even though he tries hard to hold onto this very second.

Please. Just this once, he'll never ask for anything ever again. Just this.

"I'll give you _anything_, whatever you want, take it." He promises, determination he doesn't know where had came from boils in his blood.

"Just let her live out the rest of hers." He continues.

The moon spirit is just. He remembers Yue exchanged her whole life for it. A life for a life. He is ready to sacrifice his whole life for his sister.

Minutes of pure hopelessness passby. Agonizing moments where he realized nobody's here. Nobody is here to hear his prayers. Nobody to help them now. Even when he knows his sister had only the best of intentions for the rest of the world.

First his mother and now his sister.

Fate is too cruel sometimes.

But suddenly, there's a light glowing in the water surrounding Katara, every scraps, bruises, and even the rock wedged in her chest disolves. The wounds close slowly and heal right before his eyes. Leaving only a star shaped scar on the middle of her chest the sized of a fist.

As he watches on, his tears keep on falling down. He sees Katara's took struggling breaths before he hugs her tightly. He laughs out loud as tears stream down his face.

The heavens heard. Yue is listening.

He ignores the sudden wave of dizziness and happily cries out to the heavens.

Fate has been kind today.  
\---  
Toph isn't sure what happened. But when she carefully put Aang down on the saddle and made sure she still feels his steady pulse and she finally went down to retrive Sokka when he begins to laugh.

Then she finally feels the pulse from Katara's body.

She wipes the tears from her face and stands stupidly by the riverbank. She couldn't help but rush in to join the hug as she cries on Katara's back.

Maybe fate isn't cruel.  
\---  
When Katara finally became aware that she is aimessly walking on icelands, she wonders if she had caught hypothermia already. She doesn't feel the cold nor the air that should be biting into her skin afterall. Even her fingers look normal to her.

The Southern lights above dances and lights her way and not long after she regained her awareness she saw an igloo with lights flickering inside.

She knocks and says, "Hello. I'm just wondering if you could share your igloo."

"Oh. Yeah, yeah. Come in." The older watertribe girl says.

"Thank you." Katara replies. Maybe she already has hypothermia because the whole place is strangely too peaceful, too dreamlike and she feels too lethargic. It's so peaceful that she had to wonder why she is alone walking outside.

When Katara sat down on the opposite side of the woman, she hugs her knees. She is dressed in green like the last time she -

_What?_

Katara frowns. But before she can think any further, the woman talks again.

"Here, have some Jasmin Tea." The older girl offers.

Katara accepts the tea and feels the heat through her fingers. When she drinks it, she sighs in relief. Eveything in this place is so calming, so relieving, so at peace, so unlike the outside world where there is war.

_War_.

Katara almost drops her cup. She hyperventilates as she tries hard to gather her thoughts to no avail. Every thought comes and goes. Like the rush of water flowing through the river. It is hard to hold onto one.

But the woman managed to hold her attention yet again.

"So," the woman starts, too hopeful and shy, "Which Avatar are you?"

_Huh? _

She isn't the Avatar. A monk with bald head and blue tattoos flashes before her eyes.

"I'm not the Avatar. Aang is." She says matter of factly.

The two if them just blink at each other for a minute. Then, the older one looks as if she just understood something. The older woman looks away first.

"I see. Anyway, I'm Korra! The Avatar after Aang!" The woman - Korra exlaims and smiles too widely.

Katara just continues to blink at her. Why is there another Avatar so soon? Her head aches with all the thoughts swirling in her head so she stops thinking and lets her thoughts flow. No point in holding to one.

"I'm Katara of Southern Watertribe." She replies instead.

Korra's eyes widen and without warning she held Katara's arms almost painfully.

"What are you doing here!?" Korra asks, already hysteric.

Katara immediately tries to call the water to defend herself but nothing happens. She tries to get away from Korra's grip but the older girl is much more stronger, much more bigger than her.

"Sokka!" Katara shouts for her brother.

_Brother_. She has a brother.

Where is he?

Korra immediately lets go of her and Katara has to scoot away from the crazy woman. Because now, the woman is holding her head and murmuring to herself.

"This isn't supposed to happened. You aren't supposed to be here. You're not an Avatar. You can't be here. You shouldn't be here -"

"Is it because I got severed from the rest of the cycle? How? What happened?"

Katara slightly feels bad for the other girl. She had felt at ease with her before she turned nuts. She had felt like she knows the girl, somewhere, down the line. 

Korra continues to talk to herself. And Katara has to look away from her. When she looks out the tiny door of the igloo, a yellow light seems to passby.

Katara has a feeling she has to follow it.

"Where are you going?" Korra asks and then adds, "Stay here, it's too dangerous outside." But Katara is already outside even before Korra finishes.

When Katara saw another woman, now in white, she is strangely familiar with this girl too. When she saw her face, she can't help but whisper her name.

"Yue." She whispers at awe at the glow the other girl has.

"There you are. I've been looking for you." Yue says calmly, smiling a little at Katara.

"Yue, what are you doing here?" Korra asks as she heads out of the igloo.

"You've been keeping her long enough, little Korra." Yue replies and when Katara looks back at Korra, she isn't surprised that Korra turns young. Korra is now a small child of 5.

Katara resists the urge to frown, because wasn't Korra larger than her a few seconds ago?

"Why is she here, Princess?" Korra asks now with a voice of a child.

"Because the stars are being rewritten, little one." Yue explains kindly to the child.

"Is it because I'm not good enough to be the Avatar?" Korra asks, crestfallen and Katara's heart went to the child.

"No, of course not. Your path has always just been different from all the others." Yue says as Korra rubs the sleepiness from her eye.

"Go back to your igloo, little one." Yue continues. And with that Korra turns around and goes back to her little igloo.

"Where are we?" Katara has to ask.

But Yue just smiles and turns around to walk toward the full moon ahead of them.

Yue doesn't need to tell Katara to follow.

"Where are you taking me?"

"I'm taking you home."

_Home._

Is she not home? Isn't this her home? Is it not the Southern Watertribe?

Yue gracefully turns around to face her. "You have so much more to accomplish, Katara. You still have a place in history. Go back and don't run away from it. Destiny is never behind, it is ahead."

"I don't understand."

"You don't have to." Yue replies.

And with that everything goes white.  
\---

Aang has been floating for the longest time. He couldn't move a muscle. Like a heavy weight is thrust upon his person.

He stays like this for so long, until he hears a little sobs beside him. When he finally turns his head, he is surprised to see a young watertribe girl sitting crosslegged beside him.

"Why are you crying?" Aang asks.

"I think I'm lost. Do you know where are we?" The young child replies and sobs loudly in the dark room.

"Sorry, little one. But I have no idea." Aang replies, honestly.

"Do you think I'll ever regain it?" She asks.

"Regain what?"

"The connection from my past lives."

Aang frowns, what could this little child possibly be talking about?

"I don't know. But, an old man once told me that sometimes life is like a dark tunnel. You can’t always see the light at the end of the tunnel, but if you keep moving, you will come to a better place."

"But I'd be alone! How can I do this all alone!?" The child wails.

"The greatest illusion of this world is the illusion of separation." Aang imitates a deeper, cheerier voice.

"So, I think that as long as you know where you came from, remembered the everyone that comes and goes. You'll never really separated from them. There are pieces of them in you. And if you just keep an open mind and an open heart, I promise you will arrive at your destination." Aang continues and tries to make the conversation lighter. This is exactly how he had felt when he found out about the genocide of his own people.

Aang wishes he could help the little child further. 

Then the child smiles and wipes away her tears. She stands up and offers her hand to Aang. 

They are one and the same, he realized. Aang sees himself in the child, he wonders if he knows this child, somewhere in his past lives. Is she an Avatar? Why will this girl seek him out of all the Avatar baffled him.

He takes her hand and stands up, as the room suddenly lights up.

"Well then, I think we have a destiny to prove wrong." She says and with that he wakes up with searing pain in his back.  
\---

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to clarify 3 things here:  
1.) How Sokka actually dies in LoK. Stay tuned for the next chapters. I'm gonna explain it further.
> 
> 2.) In this ff, Katara was supposed to be the next Avatar after Aang. If the war didn't happened. If Avatar Roku did the right thing and didn't held onto believing in the good of his bestfriend and did his Avatar duty and finished Sozin the way its supposed to happened, Katara was supposed to be the Avatar after Aang (the timeline actually fits). That's why her (spirit) imprint in the Avatar Spirit Realm stayed for a little. And Yue was able to find her in time before she was truly lost. Katara was supposed to vanished in this realm too because she was part of the cycle Avatar Wan started. And since Katara was an Avatar that never would/could be, her spirit had fell short and had became one of the mortals that would vanish and be reincarnated as the normal ones should. But still she has a few moments in Korra's Avatar Realm because in here, Korra was seeking desperately for the connection she had severed from her previous lives and also the advice of the other Avatars. Korra thought Katara was just like her and Wan. Who had started a new cycle of the Avatar. 
> 
> Also, in this ff, as the events in the Crystal Cave happend, LoK was being rewritten too. That's why Korra turned young again. And I also believe that that's one of the reasons why Aang was so attached to Katara. He was familiar with her - like a piece of a puzzle finally found. Just like how Katara was the lost Avatar. Not just because Avatar Kuruk's attachment to his love Ummi (a watertribe woman, who looked like Katara) knows no bound. 
> 
> 3.) And yes, Korra was time travelling here because (as I just mentioned) she was desperate for the connection she had severed. And you can see how Aang and Korra were one and the same here. As all the Avatars were in their core. 
> 
> Let me know what you think!!!


	11. Shadows Linger

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ratings raised to M for language, death, graphic depictions, etc... be warned.

With everything that has happened, Zuko isn't sure how he managed to aboard Azula's flag ship now heading towards the Fire Nation Capital. His home.

He should feel happy. Relief. That he had gained his honor back. After so many years of dreaming of coming home. But right now, seating on his bed, he feels nothing. Nothing at all. He's been like this for days, maybe even weeks.

His uncle is in jail, somewhere below the ship. And he resists the urge to come find the old man. Because everything is such a mess he isn't sure where to start.

_Katara_...

There is no way Katara's dead. It wasn't her blood that was spilled on the Crystal Caves, its the Avatar's. Right? She wasn't moving because she's too exhausted to fight, right? She isn't dead, she has that Spirit Oasis vial, she can heal herself. Right?

Panic slowly grips his entire being. He has been repeating this mantra for days. Zuko grabs his head as he crouched down with his elbows on his knees. As he slowly begins to pull onto his hair, thinking hard.

No way is Katara dead. Just _no_ way.

He had kept her safe long enough in the Crystal Cave. They were doing alright until the Avatar - that _fucking_ child came.

He had tried to keep her away from the imminent fight. He did try. But she is a warrior in her own right. So he gives her the fight she deserves.

He was hoping that after her anger burns down, he'll be able to pursuade her to come with him. And if not, force her to.

He had plans to keep her comfortable. Keep her safe. Keep her away from his sister. From his father. From the rest of the Fire Nation, if he has to. Just to keep her safe and well. Now, that he can surely provide properly for her. But nothing ever goes along with his plans, doesn't it?

_Fucking Avatar. _

That brat ruined everything. The boy who had it all. The moron who didn't know what everyone around him was willing to do for him. The Avatar who Katara had died _for_.

His vision locks on the form of the child Avatar, as Zuko imagines all the time he had wasted not taking the kid's life by his own hands.

He starts to hyperventilate. But he doesn't care. He breaths harsher, forgetting all the breathing exercises that were thought to him, unmindful of the fire flickering in in nosetrils. Eyes wide as he looks onto the empty space in front of him. Replaying the events that lead up to Katara's demise.

He'll kill that fucking brat again, if he was given a chance. He'll resurrect him, just to kill him. Katara shouldn't have bothered with that kid from the very start. And now, look where is she. Burried six feet under because she's too believing, too naive that the war can ever really be stopped.

If that brat didn't came along when they were so close to the exit, to freedom from the Crystal Caves. He's sure they'd be able to make it out fine. No fights with those fucking Dai Li agents who went behind his back and killed - murdured _his_ lover.

The Dai Li agent.

His vision suddenly locks onto a Dai Li agent. That rock that was wedged in her chest was from one of them.

He'll kill him, he promises as his vision turns red. He'll kill them all if he has to.

He suddenly stands up and shouts then kicks the low table. The table immediately catches fire as it shatters to pieces. He proceeds to punch the closets leaving scrotching holes the size of his fists. He continues to destroy the rest of his room. The bed. The table. The curtains. The flag. The clothes. The pillows.

Everything in his room catches fire and burns to ashes. But he isn't done. He roars and lets the fire to ingulfed him.  
\---  
When Azula heard the commotions beside her room. She immediately knows who and what were causing it. She has to stops writing her letter for a few moments and reconsiders.

She sighs and let it burns down on its own. If she had known it'll affect his brother this much, she would have taken advantage of it. She should have let the water peasant live. Then, maybe she's be having more peaceful time in her ship than dealing with angsty teenager.

But Azula had a vision. She saw it light as the day. And when Li and Lo confirmed it, she had no way but to eliminate the threat immediately. Azula believes in prophecy as much as she believes in the sun setting in the east. But Li and Lo had seen the same. She believes, it's better to be play it safe than sorry.

In the vision, Azula had seen a waterbender defeating her in an _Agni Kai_, of all the things.

It didn't unsettle her at first, but as the time progressed she begins to hear more about the waterbender travelling with the Avatar.

When Azula first fought against the waterbender, the princess had recognized the pontential in her.

She had heard alot about the ragtag team of misfits that gave the military headaches. Especially when the whole navy got wiped out in the seige of Northern Watertribe.

She had heard enough reports about the child Avatar to know that he is only a threat when in the Avatar State. But luckily, she also knows that that's his most vulnerable too.

She had heard about the little Bei Fong's heiress. The undefeated underground champion in Gao Ling, the Blind Bandid. Azula had to make sure she sends her regards with the Bei Fong's first. Or else their little heiress might be caught in the crossfire. She doesn't want to upset her father's sponsors afterall.

She had heard news of the water siblings that had ran away from the south to join the Avatar. An older boy and his waterbender sister. Nothing special was mentioned about the two until the siege in the north. The girl had found a master to teach her, even though it's against their culture to teach girls combat. Such a stupid bilief that had caused the tribe to fall.

The boy has no special abilities, except maybe his ability to strategize escape route for his group, which is commendable if all things are considered. Afterall how in seven hells did a ragtag team of misfists managed to ellude the whole military if the boy isn't something as a genuis himself? Pure luck? Unlikely. And his sister, the waterbender is something else.

Azula heard that the waterbender had mastered waterbending in less than six months. A feat even the princess didn't accomplished. Though Azula mastered lightning less than a year, it pales in comparison with mastering a whole fine element. Fire or not.

Li and Lo had also mentioned about the phenomenon where prodigies will be born to each elements every now and then. If one was born with the blessings of Agni. One will be born with blessings of Tui. Then one will be born in Earth and then in Air. Balance, they said.

When the Princess finally fought her one on one in the caves, Azula cringes admitting she had needed her brother's aid to get the waterbender off of her in order to proceed to the Avatar.

Even though Azula had let the two of them to strave to death, Zuko and the waterbender surprise her with the strength that they'd shown in the fight.

But her mission inside the cave was the Avatar, not evaluating a worthy opponent.

So, she sticked to her plans and kill the two of them. But what Azula isn't expecting is her brother's reaction.

He should be thankful because she extended the glory to him. She even made sure that he'll be in the Crystal Cave to help with the fight and end the war for the Fire Nation.

He'll be coming home a _hero._ He'll be redeemed from his past mistakes. He'll even be the Prince again.

He'll not be the Crown Prince he was once was. She's still the Crown Princess, afterall. Unless father revoked her station and gave it back to him, which is unneccesary and highly unlikely.

But shouldn't going home _honorable_ be enough for him?

And Azula also didn't expect the depth of her brother's affections for the waterbender.

The Princess honestly thought he'll just take whatever he needs from her when Azula throwed the both of them together in the cave. Just like how a Prince of his status should. Even though, she cringes her nose at this, she had thought her brother - _a lonely man with a beautiful girl_ \- would take advantage of it. It'll be easier to rile the Avatar up this way, and redirect his fury away from her.

But it seems that Zuko's affections for the waterbender run deeper than his teenage hormones.

Azula never even thought about it but she has to reevaluate the situation and now, it only seems logical that Zuko had developed a degrading 'crush' on the water peasant way before the Crystal Caves. And locking the two of them together, only deepens it. Azula has to shake her head at how embarrasing her brother truly is.

What a nuisance.

Lucky for him, she is there to clean up his mess. He has to thanked her really, she had eliminated the water peasant already or else father will - Azula would rather not think about it.

Really, death is mercy sometimes.  
\---  
Zuko feels the heat dancing around him. But it isn't enough. The fire around him comes from his very skin, his own fire can never hurt him. He resists the urge to cut his skin open just to feel the pain. Just to feel something.

That Dai Li agent is going to pay. He'll make sure of it. Slowly, painfully.

Suddenly, a blue and red dragon rear their ugly heads through the flames.

"_Go on, Prince Zuko. Do it, nobody can stop you._" The blue one says as it curls around him.

"_No!_ _Remember who you are!_" The red one retaliates, but this one sounded so far away.

"_You already know what to do._" The red one continues, whispering right to his ear.

And he does.  
\---  
When Zuko suddenly barged in her room, Azula already knows what he needs.

"Where is he?" Zuko seeths, with his upper body smoking.

"If you don't get anymore specific, we'll never know who you're looking for, dum-dum." Azula replies.

"Don't play games with me, Azula." He warns. His blazing eyes make Azula stops and reconsiders what she is about to reply. With smoke coming out of his nosetrils, he looks like a armadillo-bull, ready to snap someone's neck given the right reason.

"Then come with me." She says, confident she already knows how this will play out.  
\---  
What Azula isn't expecting was the massacre that took place right after she opened the door to the dining area where the Dai Li agents are currently using.

She isn't sure what happened, one second Zuko's beside her. The next he's attacking everyone that wore green. Even the guards beside her were astonished.

Not long after, the room was filled with smoke, screams and the smell of burning flesh. Azula tries her hardest not to gag. She had thought she's used to this but seeing her brother snap like this, is something else.

Azula closes the door, locks it and turns her back. The sounds of ear splitting screams, bodies and rocks slamming on the door desperately, and nails digging through the walls with prayers of mercy, filled her ears.

Azula heard Zuko roars one last time before the deafening silence came.

"Nothing happened here." She says to no one.

But the guards nod anyway and stay on their posts, even with sweat drenching their foreheads.

Azula has to wonder, had Zuko known that it was her who ordered to kill that waterbender, had he cleared his head even for a moment and think it through, had his tunnel vision broken for even the slightest bit, would he had killed - _murdered_ her instead?

Then, Azula knew right then and there, her brother is a changed man.  
\---

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing Zuko in this way is harder than I thought. But Azula'a fun though.
> 
> Hope you like it!  
Let me know what you think. :)


	12. Beginning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little flashback.

_Zuko and Katara stayed on the same spot for days, eating the remaining body of the spider-crab before deciding to move again._

_There's a jump in her mood now, Zuko noticed. Something livelier than before. Her face lits up this way and that as she exclaims she feels a body of water somewhere._

_As they make their way, she starts asking him questions. She's been talking a lot lately. Seems like a full stomach and good sleep are all she needs to stop arguing with him._

_He takes that piece of information for later._

_"Do you know how long we've been here?" She asks after a while._

_"I don't know. I can't tell much from here. Can't feel the sun. And napping here and there didn't help with my body clock." He says truthfully and silently startles himself for confessing such a minute detail._

_She nods in understanding way. There's a frown in her face though. And thankfully didn't say what is truly bothering the both of them._

_How long can they survive down here?_

_She keeps on talking nonsense but it helps to lift up the mood. Uncle Iroh has that ability to. Just by their presence the two of them can lit up the room._

_After a while, he starts participating. She told him about the legends of South Pole. Ever careful, not to indulge too much details on her ragtag team of misfits. He told her about the finer details of Fire Nation, she had a doubtful face but didn't say anything against it._

_She told him about the dancing lights. Its the way Tui and La bless them, her people. That even in the darkest of days, even when the sun refuses to shine, Tui and La watch over them and see their hardwork and guide them through until the end._

_Zuko told her, how Agni once blessed the world of his children. The dragons that guided the Fire people through the darkest of the nights. The dragons had lit up the sky with their breath and warmth them. They were the first firebender. The first masters that thought the people how to firebend. But ultimately found their demise as the Fire Nation found a way to betray them._

_Katara told him the difference between the North and the South pole. The North insignia is the Fishes that is forever in the loop together. The Yin and Yang. The Black and White. The balance. Zuko knows this, but doesn't say much about it._

_The South insignia, however, is the Sea-Wolf. The hunters in the vast ocean. The voyager and explorer of the great blue sea. Zuko didn't know this and a wave of guilt and regret flash inside of him for her lost culture. Another thing to add on his ever growing list of 'what his people destroyed.'_

_He doesn't think much about it, but the shift in the air between them seems alot more friendlier than before. And he is glad for it._

_If he had known this was the start of caring about another being other than himself, he would have gladly ignored her and continued brooding on his own._

_If he had known this was the start of something he couldn't put into words, he would have stopped it from blooming any further._

_Then maybe she'd be safe somewhere and he wouldn't be left in ashes after her._

_If only._


	13. Forget

When Katara opened her eyes, the first thing she notices is the fogginess of her mind. Like whenever she dreamt of something she wishes to keep, it'll just flows down the drain the more she tries to hold onto it. 

Her body feels weightless and she sighs her thanks to the spirits for a good sleep. She stretches her hands above her head and then suddenly hears Sokka's erratic voice calling out to her beside the bed.

"Katara!" He says and before she knew it, he held her up into a sitting position and hugs her tight, so tightly she couldn't breath.

She tries to wiggle free from his embrace and smack his head but then she notices - no, feels the tears flowing down his face.

"Sokka?" She tries to have a good look on his face but he just buries it further on her shoulder. The last time Sokka was like this was when Yue died. After that he just wasn't the same. Katara wonders what happened to make her brother cry.

"Thank the spirits, Katara." He says instead before letting go of her as he brushes the tears away from his face.

"How are you feeling?" He continues as he held her by the shoulders. 

"I've never been better. Though, I'm really thristy and hungry." She replies, trying to light up the mood. And it works, because Sokka sniggers.

"Hold on a minute, I'll get you something." And with that he leaves.

She looks around to what looks like a tent, watertribes decorations are all around the place. And her heart skips a beat at the thought of being home. But the air isn't biting, instead it's humid and the floor isn't made of ice, instead its made of earth.

How did she get here?

That's when she remembers. Ba Sing Se. The Crystal Cave. Azula. The Dai Li. The lightning. The stone. Iroh. 

_Zuko_.

Her breath hitches as her head begins to spin. Heart thundering, tiny neddles seem to pierce her heart. She clutches her chest as she bends her head down.

_Zuko_.

She suddenly forgot how to breath. She feels her blood runs cold. Her palms sweat. And her vision starts to blacken. 

_Zuko_.

As she gapes for breath, she vaguely heard Sokka entered the tent and not long after she feels the water wet her dried lips. 

She drinks the water as slowly as she could, but she is dehydrated. Famished. Dried. Empty. And it feels good to feel the coolness of her element once again.

"Easy there." Her brother says, she doesn't see the frown marring his face though.

She only gulps the water more and thankfully doesn't feel like throwing it all up again.

She sighs and leans her back to the pillows Sokka arranged when she feels satisfied.

"Here have some. But eat slowly and don't eat more than you can." He says and reprimind her of her table manners. She would have laughed at the irony, but she is suddenly sapped out of energy. 

She nods instead and eats the komodo-chicken, rice, and sea-prunes. That's actually alot. But Katara doesn't bother questionning her brother, all she has to know is that their safe. 

Then she remembers Aang and Toph. She almost chokes when she asked, "Aang? Toph? Where are they? Where are we?"

"Easy. We're in the Whaletail Island, dad's camp. And Aang and Toph are here too." 

"Dad?" 

"Yep. He'll be here in a few minutes, he's just finishing up some business."

It all seems to good to be true. After living in that nightmare only to be awaken to this. Everything she had prayed for. 

She nods dumbly and continues to eat. She could tell by the way Sokka stays seated beside her and fidgets with his bomeraang that's he wants something.

She is half tempted not offer her food.

"You can have some."

"What? _Ohh_ \- no. That's - okay. Just a _little_, you can't finish it anyway." And with that Sokka inhales the sea prones and actually manages to restrain himself from eating half of it.

After that, she eats the komodo-chicken while he burnishes his bomeraang once again.

"So..." Sokka starts.

"Yeah?" 

"What happened beneath Ba Sing Se?" He sounds nonchalant. 

_The feel of gentle hands. Of soft eyes. Of warmth arms. And tender kisses._

She doesn't realized that she had stopped moving, stopped breathing again. She just stares at the empty space in front of her, zoning out to a worst and at the same time better place.

_Of pasts shared. Of secrets unraveled. Of desires fulfilled and yet, - not._

_Of confession of love._

_And choices of betrayal._

She feels Sokka shake her shoulder. And Katara has to jerk away from the touch. She just shakes her head and desperately tries to control her trembling body as she tries to scoot a little away from him.

"I don't wanna talk about it." She replies, suddenly exhausted as she tries to regain the memories that matters and forget all that are not.

Sokka just nods his head and continues burnishing his bomeraang albeit harsher this time.

She tries to eat more and ignore him for the rest of the night.

It isn't until their father arrived that the tension in the room seems to lift, as the reunion of their family finally happened after so many years of yearning.  
\---  
Zuko has been smoking on the deck for what feels like the enternity before he saw the Caldera from afar. It's just a tiny dot from the distance but its there. 

After so many years of yearning to be home, finally he is here. _Home_.

But the empty feeling inside of him doesn't seem to fill up at the prospect of home. Of honor. Or anything else for that matter.

Instead he is left staring at the Caldera with nothing but empty eyes, while he smoke his lungs dry.

Smoking actually helps. And it shouldn't surprise him since almost all of his own crew back in Gawani smokes, secretly. And even here in Azula's flag ship, the drug runs rampant. 

It lets him forget about _her_. And that is all that matters now. To forget.

Azula had mentioned that their Uncle will be moved to the prisonhold in Caldera. If his father feels merciful, then Iroh will be left alone in prison. If not, Iroh will be publicly executed for treason and he isn't sure how he'll react to that.

"Aren't you cold?" A feminine voice suddenly echos beside him. If he isn't on drug he would have known she was there, even with her skills. But, as it is, he doesn't care and she is no threat to him anyway.

He ignores her. There's no point in speaking to her unless in private company of a bed.

"We'll be arriving there at dawn. You should rest." Sometimes she'll leave him be. But other times, she'll be annoying him until he has no option but to leave or command her to leave him be.

"Since when were you the boss of me eh, Mai?" Zuko replies, he's tired of the mind games Azula and her friends like to play around him. 

"I'm just - "

"Then shut up." Zuko seeths, turning around to face the girl he had mistaken for Katara the first night he had used the drug.

Mai's face went blank as usual, but there's a coldness in her that should have bothered Zuko if he cared. If she isn't looking for physical activities, she shouldn't bother him. That's the deal. 

With a blank stare, she leaves him be. And Zuko turns back to staring at the distance, smoking another stick of the cursed drug.

He wonders what has changed in Caldera and in the palace. He wonders if Katara had been here with him, will she be excited to see the mainland? Will she be babbling about trying the foods he described to her back in the cave? Of seeing all the beaches and temples around the Fire Nation?

Possibly not, she'll cursed him in seven hells for dragging her out here in Azula's flagship. She'll cursed him again for trying to hurt her precious brother and friends. And come hell or high water, she won't be coming with him in Caldera, of all places. Zuko smiles a little at the thought.

No, she will sink the ship down if it means killing him for betraying her back in the cave. She will shout her lungs out for all she's worth and demand she'll be released immediately.

No, she will fight tooth and nail to be free from Azula's ship. And return back to her brother and friends. Back to the war and protect her precious Avatar. 

And he would have gladly helped her, would have gladly give her anything she ever wanted if she was here, if she was alive with him. 

Now, he just feels like death had already claimed his body and soul. And he is but the empty shell of what he was. 

He drags another lungful of the opium as he tries to forget about the woman who controls his thoughts the way she controls the water.  
\---  
Thanks to the opium, Zuko has been easy to navigate now, more steady. With all the plans she had prepared beforehand, Azula should have expected Zuko, the wild card, would be the hardest to predict. 

But they had lived together under one roof for years. He was the first person she had studied before. His weaknesses. His strength. His assets. His downfalls. 

She was supposed to know him like the back of her hand. But something changes. Or rather, some_one_ changes him.

And Azula seeths at her own mistake. She lost her most loyal platoon of Dai Li agents because of this. And she had plans for them. _Important_ plans. 

But she should have expected Zuko's unsaitable lust for blood. Should've expected him to fall in love with that waterwench of all things. Weak, easy, _Zuko_. 

She should've seen this all coming. 

But she hasn't and her blood boils thinking about the only person who manged to exploit this weakness in her plans. 

She sighs deelpy and controls her temper. Thankfully, that mistake is dead. No one will see her failures, now. It is buried six feet under.

"Report." Azula says as she saw Mai enter her office.

"He wouldn't talk to me." Mai replies.

"And that's my problem because?"

Mai stares and replies, "It isn't, but it is hard to seduce him without a bed."

"Then go to his bed." Azula sighs. Are they _really_ going to talk about this?

"It's not that easy. He wouldn't touch me unless I'm naked and him high on that drug." Mai replies blankly.

"Maybe I should've put Ty Lee on this." Azula says and shakes her head. She already knows Mai's reaction, indignant.

Mai still thinks she has a chance with Zuko, especially now that he'll be the Prince again.

"No." As expected, Mai replies and continues, "I'll do it. I can do it. Give me more time. And I'll have him under _my_ influence."

"Could you, though?" Azula challenges. Mai might be the quiet type. But she's also second to Azula's competitiveness.

"Of course." Mai replies and exits the room.

She needs Zuko pliable and soon, with the comet coming. Or he might want the crown. And that's something she should be better prepared for. 

Especially now that he had grown to be more unpredictable and more of a threat rather than just an asset to her.  
\---

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really beginning to see this fic as rated m. I tried to stay out of it but well, realistically speaking war is never for the faint of heart. 
> 
> Let me know what you think!!


	14. Consequences

\---  
_Katara immediately hugs Zuko tight, she looks up at him and whispers urgently, "You'll come with us? Come with me, please? You and your uncle can teach Aang firebending. You can help us win this war." The urgency in the air makes them feel like they are running out of time._  
  
_ He makes no reply, Katara continues, desperately. _  
  
_ "I saw it. I saw you become the Fire Lord. In my vison back in the foggy swamp. I saw you, Zuko. Aang said the swamp makes you see things from the past and the future. And I saw you. You're not gonna be Lee forever. You're not gonna stray away from your destiny. You'll be the Fire Lord."_  
  
_ But he only looks down, doubtful. A frown marring his face. And almost regrettably he couldn't bring himself to believe her - yet. _  
  
_ He isn't ready._  
  
_ He looks at her uncertainly. She could only sigh and cup his face. And sincerely says, "When this is all over. When everything is done, you'll come find me. When you found out who you are. What you want. Come find me. When you are ready. Come find me. And I'll be there. I'll wait for you. This isn't goodbye, okay?" And smiles._  
  
_ Zuko leans down and presses their forehead together._  
  
_ Zuko is a man of action. And had never promised anything. So he could only nod his head and press their lips together. Kissing her desperately. He wanted this to last forever. Maybe even stay in this cave forever with her. But the outside world is knocking on their little paradise. _  
  
_ She's asking him to betray his own country and he couldn't even find it in him to be mad at her but still, he isn't ready to join Katara and the Avatar on their adventures no matter how badly the Fire Nation and his own father had treated him, no matter how much he wanted to be with her._  
  
_ He can't join them yet because he isn't sure he can stop himself from snapping the Avatar's little neck and upset her too much. There's still anger in him, that he is sure of. Burning hatred towards the Avatar, not just because the kid is his elusive free ticket back home, no, but also because Katara seems like she's about ready to give everything up for the Avatar. He likes to think it isn't jealousy. _  
  
_ Their kiss ended when he heard his uncle cleared his throat. They relunctantly let go of each other._  
  
_ "The dagger. Do you have it?" He asks hoarsely from the kiss._  
  
_ Katara just nods and hands it to him. _  
  
_ "No. I want you to keep it. Okay? Be safe. When this is all over, I - " he chokes in his own words. _  
  
_ He can't promise her anything when he has nothing. He wants to give her the world but who is he anyway? He is nothing. He is no one. _  
  
_ Someday, if her vision came true. When the world is finally at peace. He'll give her the world._  
  
_ He kisses her forehead instead and lets go. _  
  
_ "Zuko, I -" she doesn't finish because the Avatar chooses that moment to call out to her._  
  
_ "I'll see you later." She kisses him on the lips softly before running towards the direction the Avatar went. She looks back once and smiles briefly at him._  
\---  
Zuko awakes almost with a shout at the memory. Desperate to call her back in his arms again.  
  
He grabs the cigarette on his bedside table and lights it with a trembling hands as he sits up. He inhales it deeply, as he hangs his head between his legs.  
  
His room is dark aside from the full moon shinning on his balcony. Shirtless, he shakes further. Lately, smoking seems like it isn't helping much.  
  
He's been bombarded by the memories, again. He hasn't gotten an ounce of sleep. And his presence in the war council every morning isn't helping.  
  
He had been welcomed warmly by the council, the people and even by his own father, to his shock. He should have felt honored at being welcomed back as a war hero.  
  
All that effort he'd put through to return home. All of the hardship. All of the humiliation. All of the pain and suffering he'd endured.  
  
And finally, here he is, the prince once again. And yet he feels nothing.  
  
All of it pales in comparison of what Katara had managed to dig through his heart.  
  
He looks up at the ceiling and exhales the smoke that burns through his lungs long enough that he actually felt the burnt.  
  
But he doesn't care. All he wants to do is forget. And he isn't able anymore. Smoking used to help him but now, nothing seems to.  
  
He isn't aware of his body shaking and sweating, he doesn't feel anything but the burn on his lungs.  
  
He had tread carefully with the drug - the opium. Had taken only a little of it as much as possible when he needed.  
  
But now, he wants more. He don't want to remember the Crystal Cave. He doesn't want to think at all. He just wants to sleep and maybe in his dreams Katara will be in his arms and they'll be happy again.  
  
He doesn't want to remember what he did wrong. He doesn't want to be reminded that he was the one that ultimately killed Katara, not the Dai Li agents he had murdered.  
  
He doesn't want to think about the consequences of his own mistakes.  
  
No. He doesn't want to think at all.  
  
So, he grabs the drawer beside his bed and opens the small canister with the dark brown powder substance and puts it in his cigarette with abundance.  
  
He lits the cigarette and inhales deeply then exhales the smoke to the heavens all the while his eyes dropping.  
  
This was what he was looking for.  
  
_Bliss_.  
  
After a while of smoking, Zuko finally feels the warm tan hands the engulfed him from behind.  
  
Her brown messy hair tickles his sensitive skin and her breath to his ears sends shivers down his spine.  
  
'_Zuko_.'  
  
He just groans, eyes dropping at the feel of her near. He wants to live in these kind of moments. Where she is by his side. Safe. And alive.  
  
'_Zuko, love._' Her sweet voice seems to passby like the wind.  
  
'_Come with me, love.'_  
  
He just closes his eyes and leans back to her arms. If this is the way death would claim him, then he'll be more than happy to comply.  
\---  
The full moon looks lovely tonight. Aang had been awake for weeks now. And the planning continues once again. As if the world's only hope didn't almost die.  
  
She had her talk with her father. All that pent up anger towards him washes away the pain for quite sometime. Until it crashes back again like a tsunami in her very being.  
  
She is empty beside that. Pained and angered.  
  
Anger she tries hard to ignore each day. Anger at the whole world. Anger at herself.  
  
So focus is she at herself that she almost didn't notice the rift between Sokka and Aang.  
  
After Aang had tried to run away right after he awaken, the two had a talk. There were shouting, crashing of furnitures, and what she heard like sobbing, presumably from Aang. She had to heal a large bruise and bleeding nose on the Avatar's face, who wouldn't talk to her for days.  
  
After that, the two weren't the same. Sokka's patience seems to run thin every once in a while, especially with the younger boy. Aang seems to be down, apologetic and worse penitent for some reasons.  
  
Toph tries hard to act like everything is just the way it was but she seems to understand what's going on better than her. Toph now knows when to set boundaries. She didn't push things the way she used to. Didn't fuss about the things that used to tickle her silly.  
  
And the change in their group scares Katara a little too much than she is willing to admit. Only a few months ago, they were merrily going around the world, flying on Appa's back.  
  
Katara tired to talk to Toph about what it was that happened, but the younger girl brushes her off and said that _boys will be boys_. When Katara said that she was worried about her as well, the girl just shaked her head and said they all need to grow up sometime. And that stung Katara too much she didn't ask Toph again.  
  
Afterall, shouldn't the mother be able to protect her children from the harshness of the world? She feels like she failed somewhere in regards to them.  
  
Katara saw her father resist the urge to confront the boys. When she had enough and was about to confront the two herself, it was her father that held her back and just shaked his head. "_Let them be_," he said.  
  
And not for the first time, Katara thinks about how all the things should have been. What went wrong. And if she had been cursed the moment she kissed the man with a scar.  
  
Is this her punishment? Is this the consequences of her actions in that damned cave?  
  
She sighs, watching the moon from the deck. The group needs her more than she feels like brooding from the events of Ba Sing Se. _She_ will have to wait. Her ragtag team of misfits comes first.  
\---  
The next morning, Katara cheers the mood in the ship. Tried to tell stories after stories of their adventures up to Ba Sing Se. But held her tounge whenever someone mentioned the Crystal Cave.  
  
It didn't take long for the whole crew to understand what she is trying to do and to her delight help her enlighten the mood further.  
  
The mood shifts as little by little, Katara work her magic. And it works like a wonder because now, they will have a music night later.  
  
And even her father suggested they eat to their hearts desire tonight. As he said that the fishes are bountiful enough and their supplies wouldn't suffer a dent if they spent the night just eating, drinking, singing, sharing stories and just having fun.  
  
When Sokka heard the news, he's more than happy to help with the arrangements. Jumping and overall being _Sokka_ again, here and there. Even going as far as suggesting to create fireworks he saw on some Fire Nation festival, though promptly told off, the grin on his face didn't flatter even the slightest bit. Katara knows for sure its because of the foods mentioned that their dad didn't hear an earful of the way of art of '_engineering and science_.'  
  
Even Toph seems to be more actively refusing the prospect of music night than she normally would. And that gave her away of how much excited she actually is for the night. Katara promises to keep an eye out for Toph just in case she _accidentally_ tries the liquors again.  
  
Though Aang still seems to be a little down, it still didn't escape Katara's notice how the Avatar seems to smile more continuously now. He talks more and more to the people around them. When at first, he tried to seclude himself, Aang now initiates a helping hand instead of being ask to, which Katara counts as a success.  
  
Katara smiles at her little accomplishment and ignores the lingering empty feeling in her chest where a star shaped scar now resides like _his_.  
\---  
"Do you know what else happened in Ba Sing Se?" Sokka seeths after he closes the door behind him with enough venom that Aang can even feel the walls rattle around them.  
  
Aang gulps because he has never seen Sokka like this before. Somehow, the fight in the Crystal Cave is blurry in his mind's eyes.  
  
"W - What happened?" He asks because he really has no idea what else happened beneath Ba Sing Se aside from Katara and him fighting against Azula, Zuko and some Dai Li agents. And being struck on his back by something electrifying and burning.  
  
"My sister _died_!" Sokka lunges at him and throws a punch, Aang isn't prepared for. The impact of his punch snaps Aang's head to the side and throws him to the cabinet, knovking down the pitcher of water and some glasses. Almost immediately he feels the rush of blood running down his nose and tears down his face.  
  
Then how is she alive? But the intensity on Sokka's face is enough to shut his mouth up. Aang knows when Sokka is lying and when he isn't.  
  
"Katara died because of you!" The older boy - man continues. Now with tears streaming down his face.  
  
Suddenly, Aang sees that there's something wrong on Sokka's - _being_. He isn't sure what it is. But there's definitely something not right about Sokka.  
  
"She _died_ for you, can't you see?! And look how you paid her back, running away like a little selfish bastard you are!" Sokka shouts with enough force that crack his own voice. Aang just stares stupidly at him. Like he suddenly grown another head.  
  
Then Aang finally sees what was supposed to be obvious for the bridge between the living and the dead. Sokka's life force is being sucked by something. Some entity powerful than even the Avatar himself. It takes him a moment to realize what or _who_ it is. But when he does, he almost chokes on his own spit.  
  
The moon spirit. _Yue_.  
  
It seems like Sokka's life is now promised to the moon, herself.  
  
But for what?  
  
Why would Yue take something this big?  
  
Why Sokka's?  
  
For what purpose does it serve?  
  
Then it clicks, of course.  
  
For Katara's.  
  
Aang sags as if his own life has been sapped out of him. He suddenly feels like the hundred year old he was supposed to be. The consequences of his choices seem to finally catch up.  
  
"People are ready to die for you. Everyone is ready to die for you. Katara, Toph, the oldfolks, dad and his crew, the North, the Kyoshi Island, _me_. Everyone, Aang. Everyone. Just so you can end this war." Sokka sobs and brushes he nose with his black Fire Nation coat.  
  
"You have _no_ right. No right _at all_ to be selfish." Sokka glares at him.  
  
Suddenly, as if a bolt of lightning, hot anger flashes through him, Aang lunges at Sokka and grabs him by the collar. Forgetting the fact that the older man is litterally dying, faster than everyone else around them.  
  
"How can you say that? I've worked hard - _been_ working hard to end this war too! It wasn't me who started it! I didn't want this! I'm still a kid! I'm 12!" Aang cries out, looking at Sokka desperately with tears streaming down his face.  
  
"You're the Avatar. Deal with it." The older man replies, this time with no venom. Just resoluteness. As if he had dealt with the fact a long long time ago, even when both of them grew together almost at the same time.  
  
"I can't. I can't. I don't want to! Everyone's life is on the line for me! How can everyone expects me to deal with that much!? You. And Katara - " Aang chokes, suddenly angry as he grabs Sokka's collar tighter to pull the older man down a little so they can see eye to eye.  
  
"Then we'll do everything we can to win this war, with or _without_ you." And with that Sokka brushes the Avatar's hands off of him and walks away from Aang's room. The coldness that follows is enough to remind Aang that Sokka is also born of water and ice as much as Katara can control it.  
\---

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rating officially changed! 
> 
> Let me know what you think!


	15. Dreams and Past Lives

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think we can call this a filler chapter but it will progress and help for later chapters so, not so much as a filler. Please see end notes!!!

This time though, Zuko dreams of another lifetime. In this dream, he isn't the scarred Prince of the Fire Nation. No, in this dream he is of watertribe. 

He moves his tanned hand and flexed his fingers through the thick coat and gloves he currently wore. He watches as the light from torch his other hand held make his shadows dance.

There is still silence in the glacier ice. And his comrades, he knows this for some reasons, held their breath as they wait for the horns to blow to signal their attack.

He feels like he'd been here before. Feels like he'd seen how this all will play out. But he doesn't know, how or why.

He knows for sure he is another man though. And he is strangely comforted by that fact.

"Hakan." Someone calls. And he instinctively turns his head. That must be his name here, he thinks.

"Elan." Zuko replies and is startle by the fact that he knows this guy in this dream.

"I'll cover you. But time is limited." Elan warns, as they crouch down low to avoid notice.

"I know." He replies, evenly. Though Zuko isn't sure what he was supposed to know. It seems like he will just be a watcher in this dream. 

The horns starts and shouts can be heard, as Zuko - _Hakan_ and his comrades ambushed their rival tribe.  
\---  
Her dreams are strange, Katara thinks. As she lives as another being here. Another name. _Aiyana_, they call her.

Eternal flower was what it means in her old tongue. Even stranger, because the name is reserved only to the most enlighten tribe's woman. 

She bents down and heals another youngster who will be harder to remove from the clutches of death. The little boy is too pale, even when they share the same color.

She doesn't finish the healing seasion though, because the horns blew up and their entire village is under attack.

Suddenly, a tall man enters her little hut of healing. And a sudden burst of hatred filled her. This man is from the different tribe. He wears different colors from her.

Katara - _Aiyana_ takes a bending stance to defend herself and her patients, but this time, Katara notices its different. She doesn't know this stance. 

Katara learns to separate the two of them while she watches the event unfold through their same eyes and body, bends the water around her, so smoothly not even a drop is wasted.

After a few minutes, Aiyana is ready for the kill as she prepared the water for its final mark.

But the man shouts, "Aiyana!" 

When Aiyana lifts her eyes up to see who the man is, she gasps and drops the water everywhere. Her patients already gone the moment Aiyana bends the water.

"Hakan." She says and Katara has a feeling she knows this man as well.  
\---  
Zuko watches as the watertribe woman attacks him. He tries to conjure the fire up in him. But he isn't a firebender here. He isn't even a bender here.

He's just a warrior.

It doesn't escape his notice how he - Hakan just freezes up the moment they laid eyes on the woman.

Strange. Zuko has this distinct feeling he knows the woman somewhere. 

It's not until she almost kills him that Hakan manages to snap out of his trance.

"Aiyana!" Hakan shouts.

"Hakan." The woman - Aiyana says breathlessly.

How they know each other is beyond Zuko, aren't they supposed to be enemies? In his foggy dream state of mind, Zuko recalls another watertribe woman with almost the same story as them.

"You should leave. It isn't safe here." Hakan says esternly. But the woman just scoffs and waves her hand, effectively freeing the man she held captive by the ice.

"You shouldn't be here." Aiyana replies and glares up at him.

"Your tribe is no more, Aiyana. You should have left when I told you to. With your people. This is no place for any of you." Hakan says, frowning at the woman.

"We will be wherever we please to be. The water here is holy. You know that, Hakan. And my people are dying from this strange curse your people bestowed upon us." The woman replies with venom.

"That was years ago, Aiyana. Years. You should have moved on then. Now the Chief will have your head for real and I can't do anything about it." The man replies tiredly.

The woman seems to soften at the words.

"Then why didn't you moved on too?" She whispers and the softness in her ocean eyes reminds Zuko of another time. Another woman.

"You know I can't." He replies.

The two of them stares at each other longingly. But nobody moves to claim one another in their arms.

"Hakan!!" Elan shouts from the outside.

"We have no time. Hide." Hakan says urgently and ushers Aiyana to the back of the furs hangging by the walls.

"No." Aiyana says. The screams of her people outside finally entering their little bubble.

"I'll fight him to death. My people will not be your slaves again. Not anymore. We will be free." Aiyana says determined.  
\---  
Katara watches as the fight turns against Aiyana. But Hakan suddenly shows up and finally defends her. 

Branded as traitor, he will be burned along side her. Katara watches as the two held each other tightly, as the flames ultimately consume them to dust.

Katara awakens feeling strangely placid and out of place. She feels like she had her heart broken once again. What a strange dream, she thinks.  
\---  
Zuko watches Hakan and Aiyana die. They can now hold each other though, amidst the smoke and fire that slowly consumes them.

Aiyana is finally set free. Hakan finally fought for what he thought was right. And ultimately they can finally be together, even in death.

Zuko awakens feeling emptier than he did before going to sleep. He feels like he'd accomplished something but not enough. Strange, its just a dream, Zuko thinks.  
\---

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hakan means Fire/Fiery 
> 
> Aiyana means Eternal Flower
> 
> Elan means Friendly
> 
> (All names are Native American)  
\---  
Hello guys!! I'm back! I truly apologize for taking this long to update this one. I'm sorry. My exams just took my attention for so long I kinda forget about updating. But since we're all in quarantine right now, I'm gonna write and update again! Thank you all for the kind words. 
> 
> I hope you all are doing okay. Let's pray for the coronavirus to end and for the antidote.
> 
> Hang in there.


	16. Again

"Nah. That's no way to live." Katara says lazily, as she looks up at the crystals shining above them.

Zuko looks sharply at her by his side by the unexpected reply.

They have been talking about what they will do when they finally get out of the Crystal Cave. After they've eaten they have grown a pattern of talking about everything and anything before going to sleep.

Now though, as often as they disagree about something, this is something Zuko would fight her about - _again_.

"What do you mean, no?" He asks sharply, as he knows she will no longer take offense on how he talks back to her. But he still checks himself and adds almost solemnly, "There's no other way. It has to be this way."

"That's no way of living, though. And no, there has to be other way." She replies still looking up the greenish lights above her.

"Oh? How else are we supposed to go on now that everywhere Uncle and I go, we will be killed on the spot?" Zuko replies, looking away from her.

"I just mean as it is, running away isn't the answer."

"Don't you think I know that already?"

"There's got to be another way, Zuko."

"Face Azula head on, we both know how that ended. Or the full wrath of Earth Kingdom? Or worst get skinned alive by the tribes?" Katara scowls, looking back at him, because they both knew the tribes didn't really skin their enemies alive. And that's just another misconception qnd propaganda against her tribe.

"No. What I mean is make your own way." Katara replies exasperated, clearly frustated at how lightly and scarcatically Zuko is talking about his life.

"There isn't just right and wrong. Black and white. You of all people should know how to fight your way through. You've never given up before. I know you wouldn't be satisfied if you went back to being Lee, the refugee." Katara continues as she turns her head to stare at the ceiling once again.

"Concealing who you truly are, is no way of living. Running away isn't too." She continues.

The cave suddenly melts in his minds eye as Zuko slowly awakens. Once again dreaming of a time where he had liked who he was.

_That is no way to live_, Katara's voice lingers in his head. Maybe its time to pay his Uncle a visit.   
\---  
So far, the visits to his Uncle had been uneventful. They both refused to talk to each other for hours on the first day. Before Zuko finally snapped and shouted his lungs out at Iroh, then walked away.

The next visit however, Zuko expected his Uncle will be more than willing to talk after he presented the Jasmine Tea to him. But so far, the walls haven't heard anything from the former Dragon of the West.

Zuko has to check himself for the upteenth time, lest he vents his anger towards his Uncle once again. He has always been having trouble controlling his anger but this time they both know its for different reasons.

He had to make sure he stopped smoking for a couple of days to ensure he is lucid enough to talk to his Uncle.

He begins to temper his breathing as he always do in his meditation. When he is calm enough, he begins what has been bugging him.

"You brought this on yourself you know. We could have returned together. Maybe atleast one of us will -" Zuko stops and exhales deep. There's no point blaming his Uncle for his own disgrace.

"I admit it, Uncle. I had - " he pauses, still finding it hard to admit such a grave mistake that costs him too much.

"- chosen selfishly. And now, I know I must pay the price." He continues solemnly, remembering the tearful blue - _blue_ eyes and dissapointed golden ones all starring back at him everytime before he went to sleep.

"I was wrong. But I - I have everything I always wanted." _Liar._

"Home. Honor. Father." He says like a mantra, looking down at his hands.

"But this is not how I wanted it to be."

"I need your advice." He whispers and grips the bars in front of him.

"The Avatar is alive. Still alive. That _brat_ \- " He exhales fire unconciously as he loses control.

"Azula has the empty Spirit Oasis vial from Kat - " He chokes, unable to completely say her name.

"She - she was able to heal the Avatar. But she didn't - " The bars begin to smoulder from the heat of Zuko's hand.

"She didn't make it, damn it!" He roars finally letting go of the bars as he stood up, breathing heavily.

"The fool healed that brat of an Avatar while she dies! How idiotic - " He grips his hair.

"How can she do that? How can she die for something so selflessly?" He slides down to his knee still gripping his head. He begins to murmur nonsense after that as Iroh represses his own tears.

"The Avatar is still alive." Zuko continues after awhile, suddenly serious, as if he hadn't had a breakdown moments ago. Iroh almost broke down himself at the condition of his nephew.

Iroh closes his eyes and lets a tear fall as he sat facing the wall. His silent sobs intensified as Zuko continues.

"I know he's out there. Katara never leaves anything unfinished, did you know that?"

"She once said what's the point of doing something if you weren't going to finish."

Zuko begins to talk about the watertribe girl as if she's alive. And that bothers Iroh because he had seen the girl exhales her last breath. Iroh wipes his tears decently as he sent a silent prayer for the desceased.

"I'm going to end him." Zuko says suddenly furious once again.

"He's going to pay for everything." He swears. And Iroh can feel the blaze of his eyes on his back.

And Iroh prays for the Avatar too.

After a few moments of silence, Zuko continues.

"I think I'm losing my mind, Uncle." His nephew admits, quietly.

"Please, Uncle, I'm so confused -"

"I need your help."

Shocked, Iroh fails to reply immediately. Zuko grows angry once again. And the Dragon of The West blames himself for not replying fast enough.

"Zu - "

"You think, I can't handle it, don't you? You're just like them. Well, watch me. I'm gonna deliver his head to you." Zuko seeths then burst the doors open and walks away from the old man.

Iroh lets his sobs broke loose as the door closes. Because he had failed to bring his nephew to the light again.  
\---  
_"I've heard about you. They say you're good at what you do, and even better at keeping secrets. . ." _  
\---  
It isn't until it was too late to back out did Katara think about her own actions. It was fun, the party in the cave, as it should be. But flirting back to the Avatar isn't her wisest idea, she knows this to be true.

And the dissapproving looks from both Sokka and Toph told her so, too. But she didn't stop until the dance is finished. She didn't think until they are far away from the cave and its children. She didn't dare to think until everything is settled down for the night. She lays awake, looking up at the stars and belatedly notices the moon isn't there tonight.

She thinks maybe she is forever cursed in a cave.   
\---  
Katara didn't think it through. Sokka thought and silently cursed her sister's idiocy. Naive, butt headed and idiot.

Sometimes, when Sokka is alone with his thoughts, he wonders what and how the events in Ba Sing Se had scarred his sister. Both literally and figuratively. How and what could he have done to prevent it too. But life is life. And he can never protect her as much as he wanted too.

The village will be accused of sabotaging the military base and it will turn ugly - real _ugly_. Massacre ugly. With divine intervention of Painted Spirit whatever or not.

They should leave now and forget about saving it. Isn't it obvious they shouldn't leave any trail behind, especially in a Fire Nation territory? But of course his sister has to prove something. The havoc that she ensued definitely will leave a traceable trail.

Sokka sighs again for upteenth time. Sometimes, he wanna shake some sense in her, so she would listen to the plan guy better.

It seems all she ever do after Ba Sing Se is cause havoc. She is all tsunami and still water inside and it shows in whatever she does.

But whatever, they will leave this place after the gig is done and forget about it as they always do. And hopefully it'll not bite them in the ass later.  
\---  
His sister was exposed in the end as a fraud. It turns out its called the _Painted Lady_ and he thinks how ironic is it to call Katara a Painted Lady when she is painted with scars and ill expectations.

Sokka expected the whole village to throw rocks and rotten vegetables at her. He was prepared to defend her. But to his shock they were welcoming to her even. After the initial shock of finding out she's a waterbender that is.

But he wouldn't take any chances here, not while their in a Fire Nation. He asks the whole village to make sure nobody here says anything about a waterbender and her group of bandits. They all agreed easily. He wanted to push them a little bit more to secure their identities but it'll be another risk if they asked what's the real deal was. It wouldn't be safe just to say they are traveling with the supposedly dead Avatar afterall.

He'll take their promise with a grain of salt though. And proceed throughout the Fire Nation with extreme caution from then on. He wouldn't risk their lives again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm writing again yey! How's everyone?
> 
> Please let me know what you think.


	17. The Hunt

In hindsight, Katara should have known there is nothing fun in gambling. Well, maybe except for the shopping part right after, but still it isn't worth getting her blown literally to pieces.

Another explosion beside her let her know that the creepy man is still in pursuit. Why there aren't any people around is beyond her.

What did Sokka call this sicko again?

A combustion of debris destroys a cabbage cart where she was hiding minutes ago.

Ah, yes. Combustion Man.

Well, no point in hiding anymore. Hoping that there aren't any people watching, Katara forms a whip and sends it rushing to his forehead.

As expected, he sends another beam into the incoming water. The steam it created is enough to impair his vision and lets Katara run once again.

She would have fought him head on but there isn't enough water around her. She has to admit, she isn't strong enough for the likes of him. She scowls. She needs to get to the fountain in the center of the market and prays that people aren't there too.

After breaking out in that wodden prison, Toph and her decided to split in order to confuse the man of who to pursue first, as the other call for their friends.

That left Katara running circles in the market as Combustion Man wreck havoc around. All that running Sokka made her do finally paid off.

She ducks another beam and for a split second, panics at how accurate that fire was. If he had wanted to, he would have burned or worst sent her into Spirit World already. But he hadn't. And that gives Katara another bad realization.

The man obviously doesn't want them dead yet, that's for sure. He still needs them alive for some reason.

Does he know the Avatar is alive? Katara frowns and runs a little faster towards where she knows the fountain is.

In the worst case scenario, that means he needed them as a bait for Aang. The thought left a bitter taste in her mouth, as she clenches her jaw and struggles to push away the image of a man with a scar.

_Golden eyes. Sad smile. A firm shake of his head and -_

_'This isn't right.'_

Not now.

Does the Fire Nation only has one strategy to obtain the Avatar?

She scoffs, no wonder they hadn't succeeded yet. Atleast Azula had more class and tact, unlike these foolish men.

After turning another corner, she finally saw the fountain. She runs towards it before turning around to face the larger man.

Good thing there isn't anyone around. She's free to bend at her will. The man steadies himself in front of her and Katara thinks he doesn't even have a proper bending form. Aside from breathing deeply. If she could just hinder his breath, maybe she'll be able to atleast slow him down.

As expected, he inhales but Katara didn't let him inhale deeper as she sends a ball of water straight to his face before freezing it in a perfect circle.

Combustion man struggles for a few seconds while bashing his head with his fists before Katara froze it too. She prompty kicks one of his legs, knocking him down then wrapping his whole body in ice. Now, she just has to find something to bind the man -

Before she could even turn around to search for any form of binds, Combustion Man sets himself free. His smoking head lets her know he beamed himself free from the freezing ice.

The look on his face however lets her know that she had pissed him off. Big time.   
\---  
After months of training with his space sword they were finally moving again. And soon fell on their habit of causing ruckus wherever they went. Much to his chagrin.

Sokka doesn't really mind being a part time messenger for the White Lotus. He's getting paid anyway, not as big as what Toph's gambling business make, but still helpful. He also gets some information here and there that'll be helpful for the day of the rebellion. Which, in his opinion should be the proirity of the top secret organization, _not_ drinking tea and making friends (he still has no idea what they were planning on the Day of Black Sun).

But that was also the reason he hadn't had the time to watch over the others as much as he would have liked. Especially in a Fire Nation territory. Which he balances out by having them train hand to hand combat, cardio and a little weapons on the side, just in case. Toph was especially hard to convince and train at first but it worked out in the end.

However, seeing the soldiers surrounding the village where Toph and Katara decided to have some _fun_ and gamble, isn't that much comforting. Masters, they are. But there would be nowhere to run if it comes down to it without exposing who they are.

The soldiers wouldn't let anyone in and those who tries ended up arrested and sent to Spirit knows where. Nobody knows what's happening inside. And that had Sokka's gut clenching.

Did they already know that the Avatar is alive? Here in the Fire Nation of all places? This fast?

After a while of seething and waiting for the perfect timing, he finally made it pass the guards and immediately started to run towards the market where the commotion was.

And of course, its Sparky Boom Boom Man.

Who by the looks of it, has Katara by the hair. His blood boils at the sight.

His boomerang is already flying before he could even think. It smacks the back of his head but still wouldn't let go of Katara, who is still struggling to get away from the man. One of her hands is already siezed by a handcuffed while the other is whipping senseless water around.

Sokka can see that his sister is panicking too much that her bending just wouldn't hit its target right. Her frightened eyes had his stomach churning.

He rushes forward when he saw what looks like a small prison in front of them, where the man is pushing Katara towards. But a rush of fire blast towards him had him ducking and rolling to the side. The prison is attached to a eel - hound.

He has to let her out of Combustion's grasp, now.

Katara finally calms down a bit when she realized she isn't alone. And he watches as Katara drops her water and fumbles her free hand on her robes for something. Her eyes stinging with tears as Combustion Man drags her away.

Sokka tries to gain distance again. But Combustion Man just blows another blast towards him. There's not enough distraction for Sokka to have some leverage. Sokka seeths. Thinking.

Where the hell are Toph and Aang?

But before he could curse his unlcuky star, he saw Katara hold something silver and shiny towards her hair.

And cut it loose.

Combustion Man stumbles forward a little when Katara freed herself and immediately stood up. A tsunami of rage visible in her eyes. That's all she needed to push him in her whirlpool of water from the fountain and then freezes it.

Sokka can see the uneven cut of her hair. The one side of it is free of a golden ban while the other is long with it. He can already see his sister being dramatic over it too.

Before she could get started though, Sokka is already grabbing her arm towards the sounds of Appa. The soldiers right behind them.  
\---  
Adjusting to the palace life, is (dare he say it) uneventful. After being crowned as a Prince again and declared as a war hero, Zuko's life in the palace had fallen into dull repetitive duties.

Attend the meetings in the war chamber. Adjust and amend some of the war plans. Lead some of the army to squash rebellions. Mingle with some court ladies to keep his mind from going to darker places. And of course, try and avoid Azula's mind games as much as possible (to think that he had traded it all for this...)

Azula had boasted her kill all the way back to the capitol. A little reminder that Zuko is still less than her. Never equal. And it was grating on his nerves, her sister just killed a twelve year old boy, what's great about that?

Nevermind he's seething because it hadn't been him who delivered the finishing blow. If he hadn't had his fill of revenge, he would have fought her instead. He had this feeling that he's being played by her even in his drug induced head.

Azula's smug declaration of putting down the Avatar had been tarnished however, when she presented the empty vial to him. He couldn't contain the smirk that played on his face then.

And for a moment, he didn't bother with the _how's_, _when's_, and _why's_ (the opium was still messing with his head). All he heard was a soft voice telling him what the vial was for. What it can do.

Before the true inclination of that vial actually hit him in the face afterwards which lead to his desperate visit with his Uncle.

Her face had lost her own smirk. She had asked what he knows. And he realized right then, for the first time Azula had needed his help. For the first time he had seen doubt color her face.

For the first time, he had some power over her.

Because the Avatar is still alive.

He still has a chance in strangling the life out of the him.

However, his victory had been shortlived when he was informed through his father that Azula had claimed he was the one who killed the Avatar.

But he'd intervened, played his card (he wouldn't be played by the others again) and replied, "Both of us killed the Avatar, father. Azula had killed the Avatar as much as I."

His father had nodded his approval at this. But Azula knew what he meant. His sister was seething and Zuko couldn't had been more happier.

Now, he has to find the child Avatar once again before Azula does. And the man he hired has been successful at finding atleast a trail. His last report had mentioned he's tracking some suspicious ragtag team of misfits who was crossing the Fire Nation islands for months now. With a little to nothing to do, Zuko sets off after the trail.

He looks beyond the horizon as his ship makes it way towards the island the man had mentioned. Thankfully, Zuko is incharge with the inland army. Going to investigate a sabotaged Fire Army factory wouldn't raise an eyebrow.

He sighs, if he had it his way he would be the one hunting for the remaining ones. But then, Azula would have confirmed her suspicions. And that wouldn't bode well with his future plans if she gets a wind and intervenes. They still both has something to prove now that he _is_ on the running to be the next Fire Lord.

The masses had rejoiced when he was proclaimed as Prince Zuko (once again), hero of the war. And soon afterwards, the wheels of politics buzzed in and there's already groups of it playing on who to backup as the next Fire Lord. A big number, of course, has Azula's back. However, a disorienting and increasing number has Zuko's, even with all his records and flaws.

If he had it his way he would have rather go towards the war front. Earn his medals, occupy some land, and extinguish some rebels - like his Uncle. Atleast then, he wouldn't have enough free time to think of blue eyes. He'd be too busy staying alive.

He had been groomed to be a war general anyway and sitting around with old foolish men in the war chamber is both useless and waste of his time. He was never meant to sit still, like his Lord Father.

Zuko knows (had seen) how the war truly operates on the front. He had been there bullying villages, burning cities to the ground in search of the Avatar.

He had been there in the seige of the North. Had been there at the fall of Ba Sing Se.

He knows how far the loyalty of a soldier can get when a competent leader was amongst them. That's why the seige in the Nothern Watertribes was an ultimate failure. While the war against Ba Sing Se had succeeded.

He had seen massacre - had massacared when he lost control. He had seen what fire is truly capable of. What power is truly capable of. His Uncle might have shielded him from his earliest days outside of Fire Nation but he'd seen. He'd heard. He'd learned.

War is an ugly thing. And finding the girl in the midst of the chaos should've let him know that she can - _will_ be taken away from him, no matter how hard he hold on. Nothing ever stays - his mother, his uncle, now _her_.

The last of opium still lingers inside his head. With it, the memories of Ba Sing Se resurface.

_Blue eyes. Soft smile. Warm touch and -_

_'I love you.'_

The words echo inside his head.

He should have been honest and replied the same.

He sighs, right now, he has to focus on tracking the Avatar. The game of cat and mouse has started once again. And he'll be damned if he couldn't catch that cursed child now that - _if_ he's in his territory.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "I love you." She said.
> 
> "This isn't right." He replied.


	18. Not to me

Katara's vision blurs as she fought back the tears in her eyes. By now, she's used to arguing with Zuko in every turn. But today just wasn't one of her best and can't he see he's wrong?

Can't he see they are still running circles inside the cave? For days, weeks, months, who in seven hells knows. Can't he feel how the cave is oppressing? Because she does and sometimes she can't move, can't breath, can't think straight.

Whenever she's desperate enough, she'd imagine hearing Sokka and Gran - Gran's voice of reasons. And it'll be enough to calm her for a time and let an argument slide. But sometimes, it isn't. Like now.

And seeing human remains scattered around isn't helping. Not at all.

They wouldn't make it, she realizes with sudden clarity.

And then it feels like she's been punched in the chest. Her heart pounding in her ribs like its trying to escape.

There is just no way they would make it out of here alive. She had pushed the thought as far as she could, but enough is enough. This is just hopeless.

She's scared she's gonna die here, alone. Forgotten. Her remains unblessed to curse her here forever. Not to mention how about her brother and friends too? Who's taking care of them? Are they safe? Will they be alright when she's gone - _dead_ gone?

No, she shakes her head. There's still hope. Hope, she knows it.

But what if the others couldn't make it to them in time? Or what if they were thrown here too and were just aimlessly roaming around like the two of them?

And what if she and Zuko were already dead and their cursed spirits are now roaming the hunted dungeons until the end of time?

_Spirits_, she isn't ready to go yet. Sokka can't do his own laundry yet. Aang can't be left alone yet too. And who would watch over Toph when she has her first moon days? Would Gran - Gran even know where she'd be buried? Would her Dad even care?

These thoughts swirl around her head all at once. And it feels like she's drowning.

"Hey."

Her sweats drop, even though she feels the chill creep up to her. Her body shakes and her breaths shorten. Her surrounding suddenly darkens then flashes right back. And she feels like throwing up and fainting at the same time.

_Spirits_, why is everything so suffocating?

"Are you alright?"

Being near Zuko isn't even helping. How could it? He's part of the reason she's here, somehow. She's sure of it. He had done something terrible that ended them down here. He's the enemy. Like Azula, the Fire Lord, the Fire Nation and the raiders who took her mother away from her.

He'd lead her nowhere. And she's been an idiot for believing and trusting him. Of course, there's no city beneath Ba Sing Se. It's just a labyrinth of dungeons meant to kill them slowly.

Zuko was wrong. The tunnels had lead them to dead ends after dead ends and there's truly no way out. He'd lied to her.

"You don't look good."

Even though she feels the pull of water somewhere, she isn't adept enough in sensing her element like Toph. She's weak. She isn't strong enough.

She wishes for the upteenth time she was born a earthbender instead, so she could push her way out. Or maybe even be stuck in the dungeons with Toph instead of a firebender scum.

"Fine. We'll not take the loots from the skeletons anymore, if that will make you comfortable, I promise. We'll send them prayers and pay our respects. Just calm down."

After arguing again if they should scavenge the loots from the skeletons (travelers, merchants, and prisoners, who met their untimely death in the dungeons for whatever reasons). Which Zuko has no problem in doing, he finally realizes how insulting it was, at long last. 

Katara, a Southerner, believes that moving the dead is not just disrespecful but also derisive thing to do if you don't intend on sending them back to the gods they worshipped. And cerntaily, stealing from the dead is beyond incivil.

Zuko, however, doesn't agree. And even says that if its for the benefit of the living, the dead will surely understand.

But Katara wouldn't have any of the firebender's disrecpect anymore. She has had enough with his bullshit. Now that she knows he's a lying piece of - 

She finally snaps. Like a thin rubber pulled to its limit.

"What do you know about respect? You're the Fire Lord's son, even a banished one. Spreading war, violence, hatred, and death is in your blood, why am I not surprised? You're just a Fire Nation scum just like all the others." She seeths with venom.

After her own voice ring back to her, Katara wouldn't admit it but the silence that follows scares her. Normally, Zuko would have a comeback right away. But the tension now only intensifies, as they look at each other. One in bewilderment and the other looks about ready to bolt.

She doesn't even want to know why the tears are streaming down her face now. Maybe she really just had enough. That this is really hopeless.

And soon they'll be dead. Lay forgotten like the rest of the skeletons.

Sokka will never come for her. Neither Aang and Toph. She's stuck here forever. Even her spirits will roam this dungeons. Death hasn't made sense to her yet. She's too young to die. She hasn't even proven anything to see her mother too. Her father hadn't even seen her become a full pledge waterbender.

Before she knows it, she's sobbing loudly.

She'll die here. Alone. Hopeless.

What a way to die. She thought - believed she's going to die old with great grandchildren, like what Aunt Wu had said. Not here is some stingy dungeons. Not by Azula. Not without seeing Sokka one last time. Or Dad. Or Gran - Gran. Or Aang. Or Toph. Or Appa or Momo.

It's too unfair. She's too young. And Zuko's too uncaring to understand.

So she runs away from him instead.   
\---

Katara isn't sure which direction she took, but she's sure they hadn't gone through this way before.

Because now she's dangling, barely hangging on a rock. There are pointy, larger rocks below her. And if she squint hard enough, she can see many skeletons scattered below.

She gulps. Mind still foggy from crying. If she lets go now, it'll be over. No more waiting, no more thinking, no more hopelessly wondering. If she lets go now, maybe she'll see her mother soon.

But then she'll be one of those skeletons. Unrecognized. Unnamed. Unremembered.

She swallows her sobs back and tries to push herself up again. But the rock she's hangging onto dislodges and she feels herself sliding down.

Until a hand snatches hers from the cluthes of death, literally. And now Katara couldn't hold back her whimpers. Her lips tremble and her eyes water.

"You, stupid, _stupid_ girl." Zuko grunts as he lifted her up. She just sobs harder because how come he's okay with her being an such an asshole to him. She'd called him every insulting things she can think of. And yet, here he is, saving her still.

When they are both steady on the ground, he holds her at arms length as she shook, trying hard to stabilize her sobs.

He tries to whisper gently, soothing nothing to her, "Shh... It's going to be alright. Just breath." As he rubs his thumbs on her shoulder blades. Then, when that isn't enough, he reluctantly held her against him.

She sags in his arms. He rubs circle on her back. She lets her mind shut down and doesn't think much on how inappropriate it is to be held by a boy and worst by a firebender. But instead focuses herself on how soothing the hug is.

He holds her until her sobs subsided. When her eyes run out of tears, she apologizes to him.

"I'm sorry, I always yell at you."

"It's nothing. Forget it."

"No, it's not. I'm being an ungrateful jerk. And - and you don't deserve that."

"I'm pretty sure I deserve _some_ of it."

"Maybe. But still, I'm sorry. It's just that - aren't you scared of what's going to hapenned to us now?" She whispers, afraid that death may hear her utter those words and come to them right then and there.

"Why would I be? I have a master waterbender with me." His lips tug a little.

"That's not funny."

"I'm not trying to be."

She doesn't reply. Instead she looks down at her hands on her lap. She was so used to having people around her. Back in the Southpole, she had Gran - Gran, Sokka and the entire village. When she and Sokka decided to travel with the Avatar, people seem to flock themself around them. Even Zuko seemed to be drawn to the Avatar as much as everyone is.

"Katara. Talk to me," hearing him say her name for the first time does something funny in her stomach. She lifts her eyes towards his to search if he's being honest and sincere.

And he is. Their close proximity enables her to see the freckles on his face. His eyes, which she thought was yellow, are more honey - gold. If he wasn't always scowling at her when he was chasing them around, she would have thought he's a good looking man, handsome even. But now, he's free of that perpetual scowl, she can say he's beautiful instead. High cheeckbones. Long nose. Thin lengthy lips. Jaw - that jaw could cut something. His stubble beard is growing, even though it looks awkward on his younger looking face, she could imagine what a few more years would do to that.

Maybe he's even a Haru type, if not only for the scar. Haru is beautiful, a symmetrical kind of beauty which she could admit she envy. But there's also a roguish look on him. Maybe because of the scar and the hair and the scowl lines that would only go away when he smirks, smiles, and laughs. A Jet kind of charisma, she decides, he also has. Not an appeal to a certain type ladies (like her), obviously. But when he tries enough, he has that. And then, there's a pure Zuko in him. A kind of magnetic pull only he has. She doesn't know if its a princely thing but she could admit, if she's been less of a person, she'd be bewitched already.

Katara tries to shake this thoughts away and focus on what he's trying to say.

"I - I don't know what's gotten to me." She admits - feeling foolish now.

"Cabin fever."

"Huh?"

"Cabin fever. Or sea sickness. Whatever. It's like when you're stuck in a place where you couldn't escape it physical make you sick and its driving you mad that make you do things to the extreme. I experienced it in my ship back when I was aimlessly wondering around the world searching for the Avatar. Atleast that's what my Uncle had said about it." He explains softy.

"Perhaps." She sighs looking away from him.

"You can tell me, you know. What's bothering you. It will help." Why he's still this patience towards her, remains a mystery.

"How do you know that?" She asks instead.

"Distraction."

"Distraction of what? _Our_ impending doom?" She says, growing angry once again.

"No! Don't - "

"Spirits, we've been here for what? Weeks? Months? _Years_? And we're still walking and I'm tired."

"I'm guessing we're on the second almost to the third week by now -"

"That's not the point!"

"Then what!? I'm not a mind reader, Katara. If you don't tell me what's wrong, I can't fix it. We can't fix it. How are we supposed to work this out if you're always running away like a scared little girl?!"

How _dare_ he - she's been taking care of others the same age as she. And she's _the_ little girl?

"Don't call me little -"

"Then don't run away when there's a problem! Don't shut me out - I can't get inside of your head and figure it all out magically! How can I help you, if you don't help me help you!"

"As if you care! Don't act like you do! I know you - you're a selfish bastard who couldn't care less if a person dies in front of you and then you'd loot them naked if it'll benefit you!"

"I was just trying to - "

"No, you weren't. You don't even think how those people died. How what we're doing was exactly what they were doing! Aimlessly walking around until death came upon them! We're like them! We'll die like them! We'll be dead before - " she stops. Her lips tremble then a sob broke loose.

She has alot of things to say. But she can't continue anymore. How frustrating it is to explain herself to someone who couldn't care less. _Spirits_. Is this her punishment? To forever roam the dungeons with an unfeeling companion?

Before she could have another shuttering sob, Zuko hugs her tightly. Without hesitation, now. And she tries to push him away from her.

"Last night -"

"Let go, Zuko. I swear -"

"Last night. You were cold. Trembling. I already gave you my outer tunic. Yet, you were still trembling. I just thought we could borrow it from them. Not rob them blind. I know they were people. I _know_. Damnit," he holds her at arms length again, looking at her eyes admonishingly.

"You really think, I don't care how we're surrounded by death? I do, idiot! But if you are in need of whatever possesion they have that they obviously don't need anymore, I'd rather face their wrath instead of seeing you suffer!"

"You'd shroud me with dead people's tunic?" She cries, astounded. Offended. She should feel offended. Not giddy with something. He looks back at her like she's the crazy one.

"Agni! _Katara_! If it makes you feel better then I shred my own then give it to you then I'll have the dead's tunic instead!"

"Why would you do that!? Nobody asks you to make me feel better!"

"I - _what_? Spirits. You're insufferable! Why in seven hells am I stuck with you of all people!"

He lets go of her. Almost shoving her away from him. Then he stands up to leave.

"Wait! Do you mean that?"

"What?! I mean all of it, damnit! What? Was it really hard to think I'd care about you because I'm a firebender scum? The Fire Prince? Son of Ozai?"

"No! I didn't mean it like that!" _La_! How did they always managed to point fingers so suddenly.

He's leaving and throws his arms up in exasperation, "Then what do you mean by that exactly!? Because that sounded like exactly what you mean!"

"I - wait! Don't leave!" She shrieks. Atleast he stops. She stands up and follows him.

"How can I explain when you're so ready to leave me here?!" She continues.

"You obviously don't want me with you earlier, do you now?"

"_La_! Can we stop fighting for a second!? And stop shouting!"

"I'm shouting!? You were the first to!"

"Because you're making me!" She shouts at the top of her lungs even though they are a few feet apart.

"_Agni_. I can't deal with you like this." He turns to leave again.

"Wait!"

"Leave me alone." He says weakly.

"Zuko!" He stops again and she almost slams her face on his back.

"What?" He turns around, face twisted with something.

"I - " Katara hesitates.

"I don't have the whole day, Katara."

She scoffs. As if.

"How about we negotiate?"

"About what?" He asks dryly.

"Our differences."

They were worlds apart, she realizes. And the way his eyes widen, he must have realized the same. She has her prejudice and he has his. If they don't work this out they'll never meet in the same ground.

"Isn't that what I was trying to say earlier? How about actually telling each other what offends us before turning around and leaving?"

"Fair point. How about both of that? That'll work."

"And talk about what's bothering each other. No more hiding." He offers, lifting his eyebrow as if to challenge her to say no. Katara frowns. Her eyes still fluffy from her tears.

"But we'll end up shouting at each other again." Or atleast she would be the first one.

"Beats talking to the walls any day."

"You're talking to the walls?"

"No. Katara. _Agni_. I was just being sarcastic."

"I'm already pretty sure I'm close to losing my mind. And having you around isn't helping, _at_ _all_. You're worst than Sokka."

"No one's worst than your brother."

"Hey!" She promptly smacks him in the arm.

"Ow!"

"So, are we going to sit down and talk this one out. Or are you going to be difficult all day?"

Zuko gaps, "_I'm_ the one being difficult?"

"Or are we going to start arguing again? Which might I add, always make me cry?"

"That's not my - " She gives him a look. It immediately shuts him up, thankfully.

"Okay, _Lady_ Katara. The floor is yours." He says, even gesturing with his arm.  
\---  
" - everytime I thought of the enemy, I saw your face." She says while sitting crosslegged before him.

Zuko touches his scared skin and looks away from her. Katara's throat went dry.

"My face. I see."

"That's - that's not what I meant. And you know it." She argues. Because it wasn't what she really meant. So she continues, "It's - _you're_ the first Fire Nation man I saw without a mask."

He lifts an eyebrow and says, "It's okay. I used to think this scar marked me. The mark of the banished prince, cursed to chase the Avatar forever. But lately, I've realized I'm free to determine my own destiny, even if I'll never be free of my mark. "

She looks up at him and smiles a little.

"Maybe you could be free of it."

"Its a scar. It can't be healed."

She boldly touches his face and to her surprise he lets her. Touching the scar gently and brushing accidently the side of his lips with her thumb.

Looking up at him this close is surprisingly not as intimadating as she once thought it would be. 

"No. But this is a water from the Spirit Oasis." She removes a vial from her green robes with her other hand, to show to him and continues, "I was told it is blessed with special abilities. And I've been saving it up for something important. Maybe it can heal it." She looks up at him again. His eyes never leaving hers.

He just closes his eyes and lets her touch his face further. She caress his face slowly, memorizing every bumps and lines, as if he's too fragile to be touched. And maybe, he is.

Right when she was about to open the vial he suddenly siezed her wrist, the one touching his face. And for a dizzying second, she thought she must have offended him. But then he rubs his thumb over her pulse, gently.

When he opens his eyes its not soft pair sunlight anymore, it became a solid ball of frustrations and determinations, and something Katara doesn't understand.

As if sensing her confusion, he finally says, "Save it for more important stuffs."

"What makes you think you aren't important?" She challenges. Genuinely concern why this man always seems to think of himself less, so unlike the guy who she'd first met. So unlike what she had thought he would be.

His eyes widens then a smirk plays around his lips.

"Because I'm a nobody." He whispers. Instead of pushing her hand away, he holds it firmer to his face. Then he leans on it. While looking at her, imploringly.

She looks at his eyes searching for madness it usually held when he was chasing them around. Instead, she sees calmness in it now. Calmness and something else.

She can't think of him as the enemy. Not anymore. And maybe that adds to her frustrations at being stuck hopelessly in this cave with him. Because no matter how rude she wants to act around him. No matter how hard she tries to push him away. No matter that he's from the enemy nation. And no matter every prejudice she had held against him, she just couldn't find it in her to continue to hate him for all the things he had no control over.

He's only the enemy when he chased them around the world. He's only the enemy when he tried to capture them senseless. He's only the enemy when he fought them tooth and nail. But he hasn't. Not anymore. Not for the longest time. And atleast not with her.

Now, he is - he's a friend. She thinks. Almost. But not too. It's confusing.

She looks up at him, searching. Pleading for something.

'_No more hiding.'_

"You're not a nobody. Not to me." She whispers back.

And she watches as Zuko's eyes widen, searching hers back. Then he gulps. They blink at each other for what feels like an hour. Waiting for something they didn't know to happen.

Maybe she shouldn't have said that.

And maybe being stuck here has more dangers than she initially thought.  
\---  
Katara lingers in a half-conscious place where her heart feels fuller and warmer. Then her mood immediately sours at the memory. Katara and her stupid dreams. She groans and tries to rationalize herself.

Maybe it's because she'd gone crazy again, with her little stunt of cutting her hair just to get away from Combustion man.

To be fair, she was desperate. If she had been as good as Suki in hand to hand combat. If she had listened more closely to Sokka's lessons. If only she had been just a little more stronger, she'd bet that man wouldn't even stand a chance.

But as it is, she isn't good enough. Isn't strong enough. Her mood went from souring to darkening. If only she was strong enough, Azula wouldn't have bested her in Ba Sing Se. Wouldn't have been thrown in the cave for months. Wouldn't have let herself -

She shakes her head and tries hard to push the thought and negativity away. It's not a great way to start the day.

But the reminder of her irritating hair, just wouldn't let her. Stupid hair.

It looks funny, now. Even though the others wouldn't admit it, she knows she looks funny. She just doesn't know what to do with it anymore.

Should she cut it even now?

Then, she's protective towards her hair once again. Her mother had kept Katara's hair long so she could braid it to a more traditional style. She likes to keep some memoirs of her happy days and tries to keep it that way. Hold on a little longer to her childhood. Even though she looks ridiculous.

"Katara dear, are you awake? I need your help in the kitchen." Hama calls out as she knocks on the door. Katara bolts up from her bed and rushes towards the mirror. Almost tripping over Toph's sprawl form beside the bed.

She puts her hair in a low ponytail as she had grown to do lately, so it wouldn't draw much attention. Then proceeds to wash her face with cold water. When she's dressed, she immediately runs towards the kitchen. Her nostalgia momentarily forgotten to face the day.

She's truly thankful for coming across Hama. How lucky are they to find another waterbender in the Fire Nation. Not to mention a veteran master waterbender from South Pole no less!

And today, Hama had promised the secrets of the Southern Watertribe's bending. She brightens at this. She can't wait to get started and get the memory of her dreams out of her mind.

"Why, dear. You must have been pretty tired last night for you to sleep in this late." Hama teases, as she stirs the soup from a pot.

Katara blushes, she had a really long dream, before replying, "I haven't slept in a proper bed for a long time. I think my body just misses it. I'm sorry I couldn't help earlier, Hama."

"Nonsense. Sleep in all you like. A growing young woman needs her rest afterall. And how many times do I have to tell you, call me Gran - Hama." She replies, admonishing Katara with a stern glare.

"Yes, Gran - Hama."

"Now, would you be a dear and put all the plates on the table so we could feed the snoring beasts already? We would have a long day ahead of us, afterall." Hama smiles mischeviously.

"Of course, Gran - Hama."

After that Katara sits down to the chair nearest Hama, attentive in case she needed Katara to do something else.

"I've been meaning to ask, what happened to your hair, dear?" Hama starts, still stirring the pot.

"Is it that obvious?" Katara asks, a little concious and dissapointed her hair stood out even when she wills it not to.

"Honey, even if you put it on a low wolftail, the uneven cuts stick out." The older woman replies, seemingly finished with her cooking. She turns around and faces the younger girl.

"I - A man grabbed it and wouldn't let go. I tried to get away but -"

Hama doesn't let her finish.

"That's okay, dear. You did a brave thing. Cutting your hair instead of being taken away by force. Don't worry, what I'm about to teach you later will have you in control of _any_ situations, especially made to avoid those types of attacks. I assure you of it. Nobody can touch you after I'm done teaching you."

"I -" 

"Shh... dear. It's okay. How about I help you style it?" Hama offers, patting her hand on the table.

The only other person who had cut her hair aside from herself, was Gran - Gran. Her mother used to do it too, but she hadn't touched Katara's hair in 8 years. Cutting one's hair in her tribe signifies trust and care and loyalty. And usually just done inside the circle of a family.

_A warm wondering hand creep to her hair. Tugging playfully. Pulling gently. And -_

_'Trust me?'_

A shiver runs down her spine despite herself. She shouldn't be thinking about _that_ now. Not ever. Not again.

Then there's suddenly a weight inside her gut, her mother had liked her hair, Gran - Gran likes it too. Even Sokka and Dad like brushing her hair sometimes when she was younger. Letting it go feels like a traitorous thing to do. Like she's letting go of something so deeply ingrained in her.

Familial. Comfort. Childish. Innocent.

But _he _liked it too.

And she can't help but think of his hands all over her again. She can't think of anything innocent about it anymore either. She seeths as she found another thing left corrupted by that _man_.

A voice of reason, although far away inside her head, says be honest and admit she had liked it too. But she pushes the thought away. It's _his_ fault. All of it. Not hers.

Maybe its time to really let go of her old ways. She isn't a child anymore. Not by any standards. She's a woman. She can make a decision on her own and will certainly not base it off by the others.

_'Everybody needs to grow up sometimes, Katara.'_

_'It's just a stupid hair, Sugar Queen! Stop moping around and stand up already!' _

She hears Toph's voice ringing inside her head.

Then maybe, today is the day she should take a leap of faith and trust herself once again.

"Yes please, Gran - Hama."  
\---  
"What happened to your hair!?" Sokka shrieks. After he finished yawning, he almost had a whiplashed when he did a double take on his sister, who's calmly sipping her tea with the freaky Hama.

Is that even his sister? He squints.

Her hair is cut short at shoulder length, fluffy with it's waviness like brown clouds. Overall, her hair style remains the same as it first had when they decided to take on disguises, except for the missing golden bans, dangling over her shoulders. It's still a half up, half down hairdo. But shorter. Alot shorter.

She looks (dare he say it) matured. Womanly, even. At the same time her hair frames her face, making her face look rounder and younger at a closer inspection.

Her hair doesn't cover her entire back anymore. Nor does it cover any part of her body like it used to. And he'd bet he has to glare fiercer to some boys who would be brave enough to look longer than necessary at her. Sokka frowns, here lies another problem to his evergrowing brotherly predicaments. He can't fight everyone (not that it'll stop him).

And by the way, since when did the Avatar learn how to shut his mouth?

Aang looks at Katara stupidly. He's sweating so profusely, Sokka worries he has to go to the bathroom. The Avatar's mouth seems to open and close as he gapes at her for a full minute. Before Toph has had enough.

"Did Twinkletoes swallow bugs again?"  
\---  
Zuko arrives at the village just before noon. He decided to go on ahead of his soldiers so it would not unsettle the villagers too much and make his mission harder.

But as is it, the village is too lively to be considered normal. It looks like they just celebrated a fiestival of some sort.

He looks up as the shadow from the large statue of a woman engulfed him.

_Hair softly falling all over him like curtains. Surrounding him. Warming him. And -_

_'Always.'_

He tries hard to shake off that lingering feeling of being engulfed softly, completely. It wouldn't do getting himself distracted on the job.

The monument of a woman is shrouded in veil. Its wooden and high enough to not let him see the face completely. The sun is creating shadows on her face. But he could see the lines on her body. Tattoo marks, as far as he could tell. Lines that slither their way on her arms and neck in an embracing effect.

The most enthralling part about the veiled woman shrouded in shadows however, is the star carved in the center of her chest.  
\---

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'Trust me?' He asked.
> 
> 'Always.' She replied.
> 
> \---  
I just want to tap in the psycological trauma of being stuck in that cave.
> 
> Sooo... I just learned how to keep youtube playing in the background on my phone. I have about six drafts and I can't wait to finish and share it with you. 
> 
> Ps. I wasn't intending on having that long ass flashback. Believe me. It just sort of happened. Especially Zuko and Katara's banter. 
> 
> Hope you guys like it. Please stay safe!

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave a comment or two. I'd love to know what you think. 
> 
> Stay safe!


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